#trogoniformes

[herpsandbirds]

Whitehead's Trogon (Harpactes whiteheadi), male, family Trogonidae, order Trogoniformes, Endemic to Borneo

photograph by Henrick Tan

[thespacebird]

resplendent quetzel

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

I'd like to see the resplendent quetzal? (Pharomachrus mocinno)

Have you seen the resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)?

I have now

Yes, in photos/videos

Yes, irl

I'm not sure

Voting ended onJun 6

The first photo is of a male, the second is of a female.

[best-bird-tournament]

Trogoniformes order / Trogonidae family

Which is the best bird?

Bar-tailed trogon

Resplendent quetzal

Cuban trogon

Philippine trogon

Eared quetzal

Mountain trogon

Sumatran trogon

Voting ended onJan 22

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Reptilia - Trogoniformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our next order of birds are the Trogoniformes, commonly called “trogons”. Trogoniformes consists of one family, Trogonidae, and 7 genera.

Trogons are colorful, tropical birds with broad bills and small, weak legs. They are fast fliers with strong wings, but are reluctant to fly, as arboreal birds. They have compact bodies and long tails, very long in quetzals. Trogons are the only type of animal with a heterodactyl toe arrangement, which is like zygodactyly, except that digits 3 and 4 point forward and digits 1 and 2 point back. They feed on insects, other arthropods, and fruit. Some may also sometimes take small vertebrates such as lizards. Prey is almost always obtained on the wing, with the trogon flying from an observation perch to snatch an insect or fruit, and then returning to its perch to eat. They live in tropical regions of the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

Trogons are territorial and many are sexually dimorphic. Males sing to attract females, and chase away other males they hear singing. They are seasonally monogamous. The word “trogon” is Greek for "nibbling" and refers to the fact that these birds chew holes in wood or termite mounds to make their nests. Nest cavities can either be deep upward slanting tubes that lead to fully enclosed chambers, or much shallower open niches. Nest digging may be undertaken by the male alone or by both sexes. Both parents incubate the eggs (except in the case of the Bare-cheeked Trogon [Apaloderma aequatoriale]), with the male taking one long incubation stint a day and the female incubating the rest of the time. On hatching the chicks are altricial, blind, and naked. The chicks grow faster in smaller species, while in larger species they take longer to fledge.

The fossil record of the trogons dates back 49 million years to the Early Eocene.

Do you have a favorite in Trogoniformes?

One or more of my favorite animals is in Trogoniformes

I love at least one or more of these animals

I like at least one or more of these animals

I am neutral about all of these animals

I dislike all of these animals

Voting ended onMay 13, 2025

Propaganda under the cut:

The ratio of leg muscle to body weight in trogons is only 3%, the lowest known ratio of any bird. Their legs are so weak and short that they shuffle to walk, and are even incapable of turning around on a branch without using their wings. Their lack of activity is possibly a defense against predation, making them less attractive to predators who hunt by motion. Trogons will reportedly shift on branches to keep their more colorful feathers turned away from observers, while turning their heads up to 180 degrees to keep watch.

For trogons that dig nests into tree trunks, the wood must be strong enough not to collapse but soft enough to dig out. Trogons have been observed landing on dead tree trunks and slapping the wood with their tails, presumably to test the firmness.

Violaceous Trogons (Trogon violaceus, caligatus, and ramonianus) nest within wasp nests, eating the wasps and larvae as they excavate.

The Amazonian Black-throated Trogon (Trogon rufus) sometimes follows army ant swarms to capture prey disturbed by the ants.

Malabar Trogons (Harpactes fasciatus) have been observed diving into water from an overhanging branch in order to bathe.

The Cuban Trogon (Priotelus temnurus), or Tocororo, is the national bird of Cuba, and its colors match those of the Cuban flag.

The largest trogon is the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) (image 1) which weighs 210 g (7.4 oz) and reaches 40 cm (1.3 ft) long, not including the 0.91 m (3 ft) long tail streamers of the males. The Resplendent Quetzal has an important role in Mesoamerican mythology, and is closely associated with the god Quetzalcoatl. It is also the national animal of Guatemala, and gives its name to the country's currency: the Guatemalan quetzal.

[alonglistofbirds]

[2956/11080] Diard's trogon - Harpactes diardii

Order: Trogoniformes (trogons and quetzals) Family: Trogonidae

Photo credit: Kenneth Cheong via Macaulay Library

[all-bird-creechur]

Elegant Trogon Trogon elegans

It ranges from Arizona, USA to Guatemala. Their diet consists of grapes, cherries, figs, chokecherry, and buckthorn as well as grasshoppers, mantids, caterpillars, moths and beetles. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. They typically perch upright and motionless.

img source

[birdblues]

Resplendent Quetzal