QUETZALS & TROGONS   -   TROGONIDAE

Resplendant Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno costaricensis Savegre Valley, San José province, Costa Rica. Male. For me, this is undoubtedly the most spectacular member of the family, and ranks very high among the world's most beautiful birds. The tail streamers are lengthened uppertail coverts, not tail feathers. (S5)

Resplendant Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno costaricensis Savegre Valley, San José province, Costa Rica. Male. This pair (female is below) was nesting right by the main road going down the Savegre Valley, on 16 March 2005. (D2)

Resplendant Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno costaricensis Savegre Valley, San José province, Costa Rica. Female. The mate of the male in the previous photo. (D2)

Pavonine Quetzal Pharomachrus pavoninus pavoninus Yasuní Research Station, Orellana province, Ecuador. Male. It occurs widely throughout the Amazon basin, but never seems to be common anywhere. (S6)

Golden-headed Quetzal Pharomachrus auriceps auriceps Tandayapa, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Male. A classic Andean cloudforest species, also occurring in eastern Panama. (S8)

White-tipped Quetzal Pharomachrus fulgidus fulgidus Slopes of Cerro Humo, Paria peninsula, Sucre state, Venezuela. Male. This is the nominate race, which does not have particularly long upper tail coverts; in fact they are not even really evident in this shot, so I wonder if it was molting, or perhaps a young bird. (D3)

White-tipped Quetzal Pharomachrus fulgidus festatus El Dorado Reserve, Santa Marta mountains, Magdalena, Colombia. This is the subspecies endemic to the Santa Marta Mountains; note the longer "tail streamers" (upper tail coverts). (D3)

White-tipped Quetzal Pharomachrus fulgidus festatus El Dorado Reserve, Santa Marta mountains, Magdalena, Colombia. Female. (S11)

Crested Quetzal Pharomachrus antisianus Manu road between Pillahuata and San Pedro, Cusco region, Peru. Male. (S8)

Slaty-tailed Trogon Trogon massena hoffmanni La Selva OTS, Heredia province, Costa Rica. Male. (S6)

Slaty-tailed Trogon Trogon massena hoffmanni Panama Rainforest Discovery Center, Colón province, Panama. Female. (S8)

Blue-tailed (Chocó) Trogon Trogon comptus Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Male. Also often called Chocó Trogon, which is a more appropriate name considering it is a Chocó endemic, and less confusing as well. The English name "Blue-tailed Trogon" is also sometimes used for Asian trogons of the genus Apalharpactes from Sumatra and Java, causing potential for even more confusion. (S8)

Blue-tailed (Chocó) Trogon Trogon comptus La Unión, Esmeraldas province, Ecuador. Female. (S7)

Ecuadorian Trogon Trogon mesurus Cerro Blanco, Guayas province, Ecuador. Male. Ranges in dry and semi-humid forest in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. (S8)

Black-tailed Trogon Trogon melanurus eumorphus Sani Lodge, Sucumbíos province, Ecuador. Male. (S8)

Black-tailed Trogon Trogon melanurus eumorphus Sani Lodge, Sucumbíos province, Ecuador. Female. (S8)

Black-tailed Trogon Trogon melanurus macroura San Francisco Nature Reserve, Tortí, Panama province, Panama. Male. (S8)

Black-headed Trogon Trogon melanocephalus melanocephalus Campamento La Jungla, Catemaco, Veracruz state, Mexico. Male. (S5)

Citreoline Trogon Trogon citreolus sumichrasti Zipolite, Oaxaca state, Mexico. Male. Endemic to the Pacific coast of Mexico. (S5)

White-tailed Trogon Trogon chionurus Río Canandé reserve, Esmeraldas province, Ecuador. Male. (S8)

White-tailed Trogon Trogon chionurus Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Female. (S8)

Green-backed Trogon Trogon viridis viridis Sani Lodge, Sucumbíos province, Ecuador. Male. (S11)

Green-backed Trogon Trogon viridis viridis Yasuní Research Station, Orellana province, Ecuador. Female. (S6)

Gartered Trogon Trogon caligatus braccatus Sierra de los Tuxtlas, Veracruz state, Mexico. Male. Split from Violaceous Trogon T. violacea, and in some books called Northern Violaceous Trogon. (S5)

Blue-crowned Trogon Trogon curucui curucui Jeremoaba, Bahia state, Brazil. Female. (S6)

Surucua Trogon Trogon surrucura surrucura Intervales State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil. This trogon is common and widespread in the Atlantic Forest region of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. It also occurs in Uruguay. There are two subspecies that differ in the color of the belly and eyering. This is the red-bellied subspecies, found in the southern and western part of its range. (S8)

Surucua Trogon Trogon surrucura aurantius Caraça sanctuary, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Male. An example of the yellow-bellied race, which occurs in the northern and eastern parts of its range. (S6)

Black-throated Trogon Trogon rufus chrysochloros Serra da Graciosa, Paraná state, Brazil. Male. Note the more finely barred tail than the other races farther below, as well the color of the eyering. (D4)

Black-throated Trogon Trogon rufus chrysochloros Intervales State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil. Female. (S6)

Black-throated Trogon Trogon rufus tenellus Panama Rainforest Discovery Center, Colón province, Panama. Male. (S8)

Black-throated Trogon Trogon rufus tenellus Plantation Road, Soberania National Park, Panama province, Panama. Juvenile male - he resembles a female, but is starting to show some green patches in the brown. (S8)

Black-throated Trogon Trogon rufus cupreicauda Río Canandé reserve, Esmeraldas province, Ecuador. Male. Some races, such as this one found in the Chocó region, have yellow eyerings. (S8)

Collared Trogon Trogon collaris virginalis Rio Silanche Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Male. (D3)

Collared Trogon Trogon collaris virginalis Río Palenque Science Station, Los Rios province, Ecuador. Female. (S7)

Collared Trogon Trogon collaris puella North of Mapastepec, Chiapas state, Mexico. Male. This is the northernmost subspecies (sometimes split, e.g. HBW) with tail feathers lacking the broad white tips. (S5)

Masked Trogon Trogon personatus assimilis Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Male. (S6)

Masked Trogon Trogon personatus assimilis Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Female. (S8)

Masked Trogon Trogon personatus ptaritepui La Escalera (Sierra de Lema), Bolívar state, Venezuela. Male. This subspecies (endemic to the tepuis of eastern Venezuela and adjacent Guyana & Brazil) should have a golden tinge to the back; it does show that, but then so does the other male from Ecuador a few photos above. (D3)

Masked Trogon Trogon personatus sanctaemartae El Dorado reserve, Santa Marta mountains, Magdalena, Colombia. Male. Subspecies endmic to the Santa Martas, with more white in the wings. This individual is missing some of its tail feathers. (S11)