Northern black-throated trogon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern black-throated trogon |
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| Adult male in Costa Rica | |
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| Adult female in Panama | |
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Trogon
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| Species: |
tenellus
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The northern black-throated trogon (Trogon tenellus) is a beautiful bird found in the forests of Central and South America. It lives from southeastern Honduras all the way to northwestern Colombia. This bird is part of the Trogonidae family, which includes other colorful birds like quetzals.
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Understanding the Northern Black-throated Trogon
Scientists who study birds often group them based on how they are related. For a long time, the northern black-throated trogon was thought to be a subspecies, or a type, of a larger group called the "black-throated trogon."
How Scientists Classify Birds
Recently, some bird experts decided to split the original "black-throated trogon" into four different species. One of these new species is the northern black-throated trogon. This means it is now seen as its own unique kind of bird. However, not all bird organizations agree on this new classification yet.
What Does the Northern Black-throated Trogon Look Like?
Like many trogons, the northern black-throated trogon has very soft and colorful feathers. The males and females look quite different from each other. This bird is fairly small, usually about 23 to 26 centimeters (9 to 10 inches) long. It weighs about 50 to 59 grams (1.8 to 2.1 ounces), which is about the same as a small candy bar.
Male Trogon Colors
Adult male northern black-throated trogons have a black face and throat. They have a light blue ring of skin around their eyes. Their head, back, and part of their wings are a shiny metallic green. Their tail feathers are bluish with wide black tips.
Their flight feathers have patterns of black and white. The underside of their tail is black and white with a wide white tip. Their upper chest is metallic green, and their lower chest and belly are bright yellow. Males usually have a bright yellow-green beak.
Female Trogon Colors
Adult female northern black-throated trogons are mostly brown on their upper parts. Their face is brown, and they also have a whitish or pale blue ring around their eyes. Their wings are a copper color with some dusky (dark) parts.
The top of their central tail feathers is reddish-brown with narrow black tips. The outer tail feathers are black and white. The underside of their tail is black and white, just like the males. Their throat and upper chest are a lighter brown than their back. Their lower chest and belly are yellow. Female beaks can vary a lot in color, from mostly black to mostly yellow.
Eyes and Feet
Both male and female northern black-throated trogons have dark brown eyes. Their legs and feet are bluish-gray. Young birds might have pinkish legs and feet.
Where Does the Northern Black-throated Trogon Live?
The northern black-throated trogon lives in Central America and a small part of South America. You can find it on the Caribbean side of countries like Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. It also lives on the Pacific side of central Costa Rica and Panama. Its home continues into northwestern Colombia.
Preferred Habitats
This bird mostly lives in humid, old-growth forests. In Costa Rica and further south, it also lives in mature secondary forests, which are forests that have grown back after being cut down. It can be found from sea level up to about 400 meters (1,300 feet) in some areas. In Costa Rica and Panama, it can live at higher elevations, sometimes up to 1,200 meters (3,900 feet).
Trogon Behavior and Habits
Trogons are known for how they perch. They sit very straight with their tail hanging downwards. They can stay very still and quiet for a long time, making them hard to spot!
Movement and Migration
The northern black-throated trogon usually stays in the same area all year round. It doesn't migrate long distances. However, it might move to lower elevations during times of very heavy rain.
What Do Trogons Eat?
This bird mainly eats insects. It also enjoys eating fruit. It usually looks for food in the lower and middle parts of the forest. It often catches insects or picks fruit by flying out from a perch, grabbing its meal, and then returning to the same perch or a different one to eat. Sometimes, these trogons have been seen following groups of monkeys. They might do this to catch insects that the monkeys disturb as they move through the trees.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Most of what we know about how northern black-throated trogons raise their young comes from studies in Costa Rica. Their breeding season starts early in the year, sometimes in February, when they begin to dig out their nests. They can lay eggs as late as June or July in areas near sea level.
Both the male and female work together to dig a nest hole. They choose a decaying tree or stump, sometimes as high as 6 meters (20 feet) off the ground. They don't build a fancy nest inside; they might just leave some wood chips at the bottom of the hole.
A female trogon usually lays two slightly shiny white eggs. Both parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm. The male often incubates during the day, and the female takes over at night. The eggs hatch after about 18 days. The young birds, called nestlings, are ready to fly out of the nest about 14 to 15 days after they hatch. Both parents feed and care for the nestlings.
Trogon Sounds
The northern black-throated trogon has a special song. It makes low, soft, gentle notes in a series of two, three, or sometimes four sounds. It sounds like "cow cow" or "cow cow cow". Its call is a short "churr" sound.
Conservation Status
The organization that assesses the risk of extinction for species, the IUCN, currently looks at the black-throated trogon as one whole species, not separate ones. This means they haven't yet assessed the northern black-throated trogon on its own.
