Blue-crowned trogon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue-crowned trogon |
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| Male, southeast Brazil | |
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Trogon
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| Species: |
curucui
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The blue-crowned trogon (Trogon curucui) is a beautiful bird known for its bright colors. It belongs to the family Trogonidae, which includes other amazing birds like quetzals. You can find this bird in many South American countries. These include Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. Like all trogons, males and females look different. The male has a blue head and a red belly. The female has a gray head and a pinkish-red belly.
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About Its Name
The blue-crowned trogon got its official name from a Swedish scientist. His name was Carl Linnaeus, and he described it in 1766. He gave it the scientific name Trogon curucui. This name comes from an old Brazilian language. It means "small bird." Scientists have also found that this trogon is closely related to the Guianan trogon.
There are three types, or subspecies, of the blue-crowned trogon:
- T. c. peruvianus – found from southern Colombia to Bolivia and central Brazil.
- T. c. curucui – found in eastern Brazil.
- T. c. behni – found in eastern Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
What It Looks Like
The blue-crowned trogon is about 24 cm (9.4 in) long. It weighs between 39 to 63 grams (1.4 to 2.2 oz).
The male bird has a black face and throat. It has a bright orange ring around its eye. Its head, neck, and chest are a shiny greenish-blue. The back is a metallic bronze-green. Its tail is greenish-blue on top and has black and white stripes underneath. Its folded wings look gray from a distance. A white band separates its chest from its rosy red belly.
The female bird is different. She is gray where the male is green. Her belly is pinkish-red. Instead of an orange eye ring, she has white arcs around her eyes. Her tail also has a different black and white pattern underneath.
The male's song is a fast, repeated "kow" sound. It lasts about 4-5 seconds and stops suddenly. Both male and female birds make a "churrr" call.
Where It Lives
The blue-crowned trogon lives across a large area. This includes the Amazon Basin south of the Amazon River.
One type, T. c. curucui, lives from central Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean. Another type, T. c. peruvianus, lives in the Andean foothills. This area includes southern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and northwestern Bolivia. It also extends into Amazonian Brazil. The third type, T. c. behni, is found in eastern Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
These birds live in many different places. They can be found in various types of forests. These include flooded forests, forests along rivers, and dry forests. They live from the forest floor all the way up to the treetops. They also live in savanna woodlands and scrublands. In some areas, they live at lower elevations. In Argentina and Bolivia, they can be found higher up in the mountains.
How It Behaves
What It Eats
The blue-crowned trogon eats many different things. Its diet includes a variety of insects and spiders. It also enjoys eating fruits. Sometimes, these birds join groups of different bird species looking for food together.
How It Raises Its Young
The breeding season for the blue-crowned trogon changes depending on the area. It can start as early as May in Colombia. In Argentina, it is from October to December. They build their nests in holes inside tree nests made by termites. A female usually lays two or three eggs.
Its Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says the blue-crowned trogon is a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently at high risk of disappearing. However, its total population is not known, and it is thought to be decreasing. It can be rare in some places and common in others. It lives in several protected areas in Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina.
Images for kids
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Near Campo Grande in Brazil
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Illustration by Keulemans, 1892
