White-tailed trogon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-tailed trogon |
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| Immature male | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Trogon
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| Species: |
chionurus
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| Synonyms | |
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Trogon viridis chionurus |
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The white-tailed trogon (Trogon chionurus) is a beautiful bird that belongs to the trogon family. These birds are found in warm, wet forests in a region called the Chocó. This area stretches from Panama, through western Colombia, and down to western Ecuador.
Scientists used to think the white-tailed trogon was a type of green-backed trogon. However, they are now considered different species. The white-tailed trogon lives west of the Andes mountains, while the green-backed trogon lives east of them in South America.
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What Does the White-tailed Trogon Look Like?
This trogon is a fairly large bird, growing to be about 28 to 30 centimeters (11 to 12 inches) long. Like many trogons, the males and females look quite different from each other. This is called being sexually dimorphic.
Male White-tailed Trogon
The male white-tailed trogon has a dark blue head and upper chest, which can sometimes look almost black in dim light. Its back is green, and its rump (the area above its tail) is even bluer. The lower part of its belly is a bright orange-yellow. Its wings are black with thin white lines. The underside of its tail is almost completely white, with only a very small black part at the base of each feather. It also has a pale bluish ring around its eye.
Female White-tailed Trogon
The female white-tailed trogon looks similar to the male but has a grey back, head, and chest. The black and white stripes on her tail feathers are not as clear as the male's. These stripes are mostly on the inner part of each tail feather.
How is it Different from Other Trogons?
It's easy to mix up the white-tailed trogon with other similar birds.
- The gartered trogon is smaller. The male gartered trogon has a yellow eye-ring, and the female has an incomplete white eye-ring.
- The green-backed trogon lives in a different area. The male green-backed trogon has a wide black base on its tail feathers, unlike the white-tailed trogon. The female green-backed trogon has clearer black and white stripes on the outer part of her tail feathers. Also, the male white-tailed trogon has a bluer rump than the green-backed trogon.
What Does the White-tailed Trogon Sound Like?
The song of the white-tailed trogon is made up of 15 to 20 very fast "cow" sounds.
What Does the White-tailed Trogon Do?
White-tailed trogons usually sit very still and upright on tree branches. Even though they can fly fast, they usually don't fly long distances. Their wide beaks and weak legs are perfect for their diet and for living in trees.
What Do They Eat?
White-tailed trogons mostly eat small fruit. They also eat arthropods (like insects and spiders), especially during the dry season when fruit is harder to find.
Images for kids
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Immature male
