Trogon cupreicauda
The Choco Black-throated Trogon, *Trogon cupreicauda*, is a strikingly beautiful, medium-sized trogon, typically measuring 23-25 cm (9-10 inches) in length with an average weight of 40-60 grams. Males are resplendent with an iridescent green head, mantle, and chest, sharply contrasted by a velvety black throat and face, a bright yellow lower mandible, and a vibrant red belly. A distinguishing feature is the bronze-copper rump and uppertail coverts, which gives the species its scientific name....
Found in primary and mature secondary humid to wet lowland and foothill forests, often along forest edges and in taller second growth. Typically occurs at elevations ranging from near sea level up to approximately 1,100-1,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on large insects such as mantids, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and beetles, caught via sallying flights. They also supplement their diet with small fruits and berries.
Choco Black-throated Trogons are diurnal but often appear inactive, spending long periods perched upright and motionless in the mid-story or understory of dense forest, relying on their superb camouflage. Their primary foraging strategy is the 'sit-and-wait' technique, where they sally out from a...
The Choco Black-throated Trogon is a resident species, exclusively found within the humid Chocó biogeographical region of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. In Colombia, its distribution extends from the southern Chocó department south through the Pacific lowlands and foothills of Valle d...
Least Concern
- The vibrant, iridescent plumage of the Choco Black-throated Trogon is not due to pigments, but rather microscopic feather structures that refract and reflect light in specific ways. - Trogons possess heterodactyl feet, a unique arrangement where the first two toes point backward and the outer t...