Collared Trogon

Scientific Name: Trogon collaris

Population Estimate: 5M - 50M

Range / Habitat: Subtropical / tropical lowland and montane moist forest in eastern Mexico through Central America and into the Amazon basin, including southeast Brazil. 

Field Notes: Both sexes with orange belly, white necklace, and yellow bill. Males with green head, neck and back, dark face and wings. Females with brown head, neck and back, white eye ring. Similar to Elegant Trogon, but little range overlap.

Personal Notes: Seen at Monteverde Lodge, Costa Rica. Some sources split this species with Orange-bellied Trogon being endemic to Costa Rica and Panama.

Black-throated Trogon

Scientific Name: Trogon rufus

Population Estimate: Unknown, but Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Subtropical / tropical lowland moist forest in Central America and throughout South America.

Field Notes: Both sexes with yellow breast and bill, pale eye ring. Male with green head and dark throat. Female with brown head. Violaceous Trogon has yellow eye ring and grey bill.

Personal Notes: Seen at Carara National Park, Costa Rica.

Resplendent Quetzal

Scientific Name: Pharomachrus mocinno

Population Estimate: 20-50K

Range / Habitat: Subtropical / tropical montane forest in selected areas of Central America.

Field Notes: Unmistakable in range as above.

Personal Notes: Highlight of our trip to Costa Rica. Seen at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve thanks to our amazing guide Carlos.

Slaty-tailed Trogon

Scientific Name: Trogon massena

Population Estimate: 20K to 50K

Range / Habitat: Tropical and subtropical lowland moist forest from southeastern Mexico through to northern South America.

Field Notes: Males (top two photos) with green head, neck and back. Wings and tail slaty grey. Belly, eye ring and bill orange. Females and juveniles (bottom photo) have grey instead of green head, neck and back. Lack orange eye ring and top half of bill is dark. Elegant Trogon, Mountain Trogon, and Collared Trogon all have a white breast band.

Personal Notes: A common morning visitor at Chaa Creek Resort

Citreoline Trogon

Scientific Name: Trogon citreolus

Population Estimate: 50K to 500K

Location of Sighting: San Blas, Mexico

Date of Sighting: January, 2010

Notes: Characteristic tail flick was the only movement this bird made in 15+ minutes of viewing.

Black-headed Trogon

Scientific Name: Trogon Melanocephalus
Population Estimate: 50K to 500K

Range / Habitat: It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

Field Notes: Females with brown breasts and heads characterize one clade (including T. rufus), whereas females in the other clade (including T. comptus) have gray breasts and heads. Females of T. rufus and T. mexicanus both have brown heads. Male plumage does not appear to be informative at this level; species with red or yellow underparts are interspersed in both clades. They have large eyes, stout hooked bills, short wings, and long, squared-off, strongly graduated tails; black and white tail-feather markings form distinctive patterns on the underside. Males have richly colored metallic plumage, metallic on the upperparts.

Personal Notes: