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Trogons & Quetzals

Violaceous Trogon

Trogon violaceus

• rare
• 32 km/h
• Least Concern

The male has a violet-blue head and yellow belly. Nests inside active wasp nests, unbothered. Cool-headed courier.

Population

Not quantified; extent of occurrence ~12,100,000 km2 across 18 countries/territories, described as uncommon-and-local to abundant depending on region, population trend unknown/suspected stable-to-increasing (possible benefit from forest opening via logging)

Habitat

Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, forest edge, secondary growth, savanna woodland, and cacao/coffee plantations, also degraded former forest, from sea level to about 1,200-2,460 m depending on region

Fun fact

The Violaceous Trogon does not excavate its own nest cavity, instead taking over active wasp nests, ant/termite nests, or cavities in rotten wood, with both male and female sharing incubation duties.

Range

Central and South America from southern Mexico through Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Trinidad, and the Amazon basin south to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Brazil (IUCN/BirdLife treat this as one wide-ranging taxon sensu lato)

Diet

Fruit and arthropods (insects), taken by hovering/hawking in short sallies from a perch, often while following mixed-species foraging flocks

Size

0.24 m

Lifespan

6 years