Apaloderma aequatoriale
The Bare-cheeked Trogon, Apaloderma aequatoriale, is a striking member of the ancient Trogonidae family, endemic to the moist evergreen forests of West and Central Africa. Measuring approximately 28-30 cm in length, males boast a resplendent iridescent green head and upperparts, contrasting sharply with a bright crimson belly, a pure white breast band, and a unique, prominent patch of bare yellow skin on their cheeks - a key identifying feature. Females are generally duller, exhibiting a more...
This species primarily inhabits the canopy and sub-canopy of lowland and montane moist evergreen rainforests, preferring areas with dense understory. It can be found from sea level up to elevations of approximately 1,800 meters.
Its diet consists predominantly of large insects, including mantises, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and beetles, supplemented by a small proportion of fruits.
Bare-cheeked Trogons are typically solitary or found in pairs, often observed perching motionless for extended periods in the shaded mid-story of dense forests, relying on their cryptic coloration for camouflage. Their foraging strategy involves 'sally-gleaning,' where they make short, quick flig...
The Bare-cheeked Trogon boasts a fragmented yet widespread distribution across West and Central Africa, inhabiting a broad band of tropical rainforests. Its range extends from Sierra Leone and Liberia in the west, eastward through Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Centra...
Least Concern
- The Bare-cheeked Trogon is one of only three species in the genus Apaloderma, representing the trogons endemic to the African continent. - Its most distinctive feature, the bare yellow facial skin, sets it apart from its African cousins, the Narina and Bar-tailed Trogons. - Unlike most birds, t...