Diard's Trogon

Overview

Diard's trogon (Harpactes diardii) is a medium-sized bird species belonging to the family Trogonidae. Native to Southeast Asia, it is currently classified as Near Threatened due to habitat loss.

Identification

• Medium-sized bird measuring approximately 34 cm in length with hunched shoulders and a long tail.
• Both sexes possess a blue bill with a distinct black tip.
• Males feature a black head and upper breast with a purplish-blue eye ring, pink breastline, and bright red belly and vent.
• Females display earthy tones with a brownish head and upper breast, contrasting with brighter pinkish-red lower underparts.
• Vocalisations consist of a rhythmic sequence of 10 to 12 'kau' notes where the second note is higher than the first and subsequent notes generally decrease in pitch.

Habitat

Found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, the species primarily inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, peat swamp forests, and dipterocarp environments. It occupies the middle and lower layers of both primary and logged forests, typically up to 900 m in Peninsular Malaysia and rarely exceeding 600 m in Thailand, though it may reach 1200 m near secondary forests in Borneo.

Diet

The diet comprises various insects, including caterpillars, beetles, stick insects, locusts, and other Orthoptera, as well as fruits from species such as Ficus.

The species forages within the middle and lower layers of forest canopies.

Did you know?

The Dayak Iban community traditionally believes that hearing the Diard's trogon's call is a bad omen.