Birds · Trogoniformes · Trogonidae

Mountain Trogon

Trogon mexicanus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The mountain trogon is a bird of the montane forests of Mexico and Central America, with a metallic green back, an intensely red belly and a tail barred in black and white underneath. Like all trogons it stays motionless for long stretches on a perch in the understorey, turning only its head, and sallies out to pluck fruit and insects in hovering flight. It nests in holes it excavates in rotten wood or in arboreal termite mounds.

Weight

60 g – 80 g

Size

28 cm – 31 cm

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestMountainOmnivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Temperate forest Mountain

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Fun facts

Trogons have an arrangement of toes unique among birds, called heterodactyl: the first and second toes point backwards, a combination shared by no other group of birds in the world.
Its skin is so thin and so loosely attached that it tears extraordinarily easily, a classic problem for taxidermists and a possible defence against predators that end up with nothing but a handful of feathers.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Montane pine and oak forest and cloud forest of Mexico and Central America, between 1,200 and 3,000 m
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 18 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trogon_mexicanus