Ward's trogon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ward's trogon
Male in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Trogoniformes
Family:	Trogonidae
Genus:	Harpactes
Species:	H. wardi
Binomial name
Harpactes wardi (Kinnear, 1927)
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The Ward's trogon (scientific name: Harpactes wardi) is a beautiful bird that belongs to the Trogonidae family. These birds live in the northeastern parts of the Indian subcontinent and stretch east into Southeast Asia. You can find them in countries like Bhutan, India, Tibet, and Myanmar. There was also a group living in northern Vietnam, but they haven't been seen there recently.

Ward's trogons live in special places called temperate forests and warm, wet lowland forests. Sadly, their homes are shrinking because of habitat loss, which means they are in danger. This bird was named after an English botanist and explorer named Francis Kingdon-Ward.

What Does Ward's Trogon Look Like?

Ward's trogons are medium-sized birds. They are about 35 to 38 cm (14–15 in) (14 to 15 inches) long. They weigh around 115–120 g (4.1–4.2 oz) (about 4 ounces).

Male and Female Differences

• Male Trogons: The male birds have a bright pink-red chest, belly, and forehead. Their tail feathers underneath are also pink-red. Their chest, back, wings, and upper tail are dark gray with a bit of maroon color. The tip of their beak is a deep red.
• Female Trogons: Female trogons look similar to males, but their red parts are yellow instead. Their dark areas are a dark olive green. The tip of the female's beak is yellow.

Both male and female Ward's trogons have a cool blue ring around their eyes.

Where Do Ward's Trogons Live?

Ward's trogons live in several places across Asia. Their main home is from Bhutan and Arunachal in Northeast India. They also live in northern and eastern Myanmar and southern China, especially in western Yunnan.

Their Mountain Homes

These birds usually live in mountains. They are often found between 1,500–3,200 m (4,900–10,500 ft) (about 4,900 to 10,500 feet) high. Sometimes, they fly down to lower areas, as low as 300 m (980 ft) (about 980 feet). There's a chance they move to lower places when winter comes.

Preferred Forest Types

Ward's trogons like subtropical hill forests. These forests often have oak (Quercus) and chestnut (Castanopis) trees. They also enjoy temperate broadleaf evergreen forests. Inside these forests, they like to stay in the lower parts, among the bushes and bamboo plants.

How Many Are There?

Ward's trogons are not very common birds overall. However, you might find many of them in certain areas. In the 1990s, experts thought they were vulnerable to extinction. But then, healthy groups were found in Bhutan. Because of this, they are now listed as "near-threatened." This means they are still being watched, but they are not in immediate danger.

What Do Ward's Trogons Do?

Scientists don't know a lot about how Ward's trogons behave. But we do know some things about what they eat and when they might have babies.

What They Eat

Ward's trogons enjoy eating insects. Their diet includes:

• Moths
• Stick-insects
• Grasshoppers
• Bugs

They also eat large seeds.

Reproduction

No one has ever found or described a Ward's trogon nest. This means we don't know much about how they raise their young. However, birds that were ready to breed have been seen in March and April. This suggests that spring is their breeding season.