Lattice-tailed Trogon

Overview

The lattice-tailed trogon, Trogon clathratus, is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae found in Costa Rica and Panama. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, although its population is believed to be decreasing due to habitat destruction.

Identification

• Approximately 30 cm in length and weighing about 130 g, with males displaying iridescent green upperparts and rosy red bellies.
• Males possess a yellow bill, whitish eye, and blackish face, throat, and chin, while females have slaty grey upperparts with an olive breast tint and a dark upper bill.
• The folded wings appear grey at a distance due to fine black and white vermiculation, and the tail underside features slate grey feathers with fine white bars.
• The song consists of a rapid series of around 15 loud, resonant clucking 'kwa' notes that rise in pitch and volume to a crescendo before becoming faster, lower, and softer.

Habitat

This species inhabits the midstory and lower canopy of mature humid to wet foothill and lower mountain forests, typically ranging in elevation between 90 and 1,360 m. Its distribution covers the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica and extends into western Panama, with local presence on the Pacific slope of Panama. It is usually found in the forest interior but can occur at forest edges and in shady semi-open landscapes.

Diet

The lattice-tailed trogon primarily feeds on fruits and large insects, though it occasionally consumes small frogs and lizards.

Did you know?

The bird constructs its nest within a cavity excavated in a rotten tree or snag, and sometimes within an arboreal termitarium, located between 5 and 8 m above the ground.