Lattice-tailed Trogon
Trogon clathratus
This large trogon is the only one in its range with a pale eye. Male is green and red with no white band separating the chest from the belly; female similar but gray-brown instead of green. Otherwise, a typical trogon with upright posture, squared-off tail, and stout yellow bill. Sits still at middle levels in trees, slowly turning head searching for prey.
Identification
The lattice-tailed trogon is about 30 cm (12 in) long and weighs about 130 g (4.6 oz). The male has a yellow bill, a whitish eye, and a blackish face, chin, and throat. The crown, nape, upperparts, and breast are iridescent green. The belly and vent are rosy red. The folded wing has fine black and white vermiculation that looks gray at a distance. The upperside of the tail is bluish green and underside slate gray with fine white bars. The female replaces the male's green with slaty gray, with an olive tint to the breast. The female's maxilla is dark.
Taxonomy
The lattice-tailed trogon is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Trogon clathratus
- Authority
- Salvin, 1866
- Order
- Trogoniformes
- Family
- Trogonidae
- Genus
- Trogon
Range and habitat
The lattice-tailed trogon is found along the Caribbean slope for the length of Costa Rica and into western Panama; it is also found locally on the Pacific slope in Panama. It inhabits the midstory and lower canopy of mature humid to wet foothill and lower mountain forest. It is usually found in the forest interior but also at the edges and into shady semi-open landscapes. In elevation it ranges between 90 and 1,360 m (300 and 4,500 ft). It descends to the lower elevations towards the end of the rainy season, but is almost never found in the level lowlands.
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
Migration pattern: Vertical migration.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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