Apaloderma vittatum
The Bar-tailed Trogon, Apaloderma vittatum, is a striking member of the ancient avian order Trogoniformes, often lauded for its exquisite, iridescent plumage. Males boast a metallic blue-black to violet-black head and breast, contrasting with an emerald to bronze-green back, a bright red belly, and a distinctive white bar across the lower breast, all framed by a brilliant yellow eye-ring. Measuring approximately 28-30 cm in length, with a tail contributing significantly to this dimension, and...
This species primarily inhabits submontane and montane evergreen forests, often found along forest edges, riverine forests, and dense woodland patches. It typically occurs at elevations ranging from 900 to 3,000 meters above sea level.
The Bar-tailed Trogon primarily feeds on a diverse array of insects, including caterpillars, grasshoppers, mantises, and beetles, supplemented significantly by small fruits, especially wild figs and berries.
The Bar-tailed Trogon is a diurnal and generally solitary or paired species, renowned for its remarkably still perching posture, often remaining motionless for extended periods, making it surprisingly difficult to spot despite its vibrant plumage. Its foraging strategy is primarily 'sit-and-wait,...
The Bar-tailed Trogon is a resident species found across fragmented montane and submontane forest habitats of East, Central, and Southern Africa. Its distribution extends from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, through Kenya and Tanzania, southward into Malawi, Zam...
Least Concern
- The Bar-tailed Trogon belongs to the order Trogoniformes, an ancient and distinct lineage of birds separate from most other avian groups. - Unlike most birds, trogons possess heterodactyl feet, meaning two toes point forward and two backward, an adaptation unique to their order and shared conve...