Collared Trogon

The Collared Trogon is a medium-sized trogon widespread through humid forests of Central and South America. Males have a glossy green head, back, and upper breast, a narrow white breast band (the "collar"), and a bright red lower breast and belly; the undertail shows fine black-and-white barring or vermiculation. Females replace the male's green with soft brown tones and show a duller, pinkish-red belly with a less distinct pale collar. Both sexes have a ring of colorful bare skin around the eye typical of trogons.

Key field marks

• Male: green head/upperparts, narrow white breast band, red lower breast/belly, finely barred undertail, yellow-orange eye-ring.
• Female: brown where the male is green, pinkish-red belly, less distinct pale collar.
• Fairly small bill and upright, still perching posture typical of trogons.

Similar species

Slaty-tailed Trogon is larger with a plain, unbarred dark undertail and no obvious white collar. Black-throated Trogon has a black throat/face and yellow (not red) belly. The fine barred undertail plus red belly and white collar together identify Collared Trogon within its elevational range.

Collared Trogons favor humid foothill and lower montane forest, generally between about 500 and 2,000 m, though they occur locally at lower elevations in some regions. The species ranges from Mexico through Central America and along the Andes and adjacent lowlands of South America to Bolivia and Brazil. It is a non-migratory resident, sometimes making modest elevational movements.

Voice

A series of soft, mellow, downslurred notes, often rendered as "cow, cow, cow, cow", delivered at a steady pace from a perch within the forest.

Feeding

Collared Trogons sit quietly and sally out to pluck fruit — especially figs — or to snatch large insects from foliage in flight, a foraging technique typical of trogons.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs excavate a nest cavity in a rotten tree stump, often reusing or enlarging a cavity started by decay or another animal, sometimes in an active wasp or termite nest. Both parents share incubation and feeding of the chicks.