Ward's Trogon
Harpactes wardi
A sluggish bird of mature tropical hill forests. A small head and prominent pale eye-ring give it a comically surprised appearance. Male has a wine-purple back, a scarlet belly, and a red plush patch on the forehead. Female is brownish with a yellow cap and underparts. Like other trogons, usually still and hard to detect on a low or mid-level perch, from which it sallies out to take insects, fruits, and seeds. Song is a series of bubbling hoots that accelerate and rise, then taper off gradually towards the end.
Identification
Ward's trogon measures 35 to 38 cm (14–15 in) in length and weighs 115–120 g (4.1–4.2 oz). The male have a pink-red breast, belly, undertail and forehead and the chest, back and wings and uppertail are dark slate with a maroon wash. The tip of the bill is deep red. The plumage of the female matches the male but the red is replaced with yellow and the dark parts are dark olive. The female's beak tip is yellow, and both sexes have a blue ring around the eye.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Harpactes wardi
- Authority
- (Kinnear, 1927)
- Order
- Trogoniformes
- Family
- Trogonidae
- Genus
- Harpactes
Range and habitat
Ward's trogon ranges from Bhutan and Arunachal in North Eastern India and into northern and eastern Myanmar and southern China (in western Yunnan). A disjunct population was reported to be common in Fan Si Pan in Vietnam in 1939, but there are no modern records of that species there. The species is generally montane, usually occurring between 1,500–3,200 m (4,900–10,500 ft) but occasionally coming down as low as 300 m (980 ft). There is some evidence that it moves to lower altitudes in winter.<p>The preferred habitat of Ward's trogon is subtropical hill forest dominated by Quercus and Castanopis and temperate broadleaf evergreen forest. Within these forests it is found in the understory, undergrowth and within bamboo stands.<p>The species is not a common one, although it can be locally common in some locations. It was treated as vulnerable by the IUCN in the 1990s, but secure populations have been found in Bhutan, so it is presently listed as near-threatened.
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
Little is known about the behaviour of Ward's trogon. It feeds on insects, including moths, stick-insects, grasshoppers and bugs, as well as large seeds. Its nests have not been found or described, but birds in breeding condition have been found in March and April.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Magpie Starling
Speculipastor bicolor
An unusual and distinctive starling of dry country. Males are dark above and white below, with a blue-black hood and upperparts; females are dark gray. Both sexes have an orange eye and white patches in the wings that are conspicuous in flight. Found in dry thorn savanna, thorn scrub, and woodland, usually in flocks which wander erratically. The song is a continuous jumble of scratchy notes and whistles. The most common call is a harsh “chek.”
Australian Brushturkey
Alectura lathami
Large black bird with a vertically-fanned tail and massive strong legs and feet. Obvious red head. Male develops large yellow pendulous neck wattles (mauve in Cape York subspecies). Endemic resident of tropical rainforests along the eastern coast of Australia. It can be a common in cosmopolitan parks and gardens in places such as Cairns, Brisbane. Roosts at night very high up in trees. Builds large nest-mounds of leaves and mulch.
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Large, unmistakable woodpecker. Mostly black, with red crest and bold white stripes on head and neck. Flies with deep, rowing wingbeats, almost like a crow but more irregular; also look for mostly white underwings and white patches on upperwing. Pairs inhabit mature deciduous or coniferous forests with large trees. Makes large oval-shaped holes in decaying trees to search for insects. Listen for slow resonant drumming and loud clucking calls. Occasionally visits feeders in appropriate habitat, especially fond of suet.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.