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Elegant Trogon

Silhouette TrogonsTrogons
Elegant TrogonTrogon elegans
  • ORDER: Trogoniformes
  • FAMILY: Trogonidae

Basic Description

Many kinds of trogons live in tropical forests, but only one species regularly occurs north of Mexico. Easily recognized by their metallic-green and rose-red colors, as well as their unusual stout-bodied, square-tailed profile, Elegant Trogons are a prized sighting for birders who visit southeastern Arizona. Early on spring mornings, their repetitive and resonating calls carry through the sycamore and oak forests that line canyon streams. Elegant Trogons are reliant upon woodpeckers to excavate holes in trees where they place their nests.

More ID Info
image of range map for Elegant Trogon
Year-roundBreedingMigrationNonbreeding
Range map provided by Birds of the World
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Find This Bird

Elegant Trogons are one of the most sought-after birds by bird watchers in the U.S., They breed regularly in only four mountain ranges in Arizona: the Atascosas, Chiricahuas, Huachucas, and Santa Ritas. They also are rarely reported in the southwestern mountains of New Mexico. Notwithstanding their restricted range, you should be able to find trogons if you look in the correct habitat (canyon forests of oak and sycamore) at the right time of year. Some trogons are present all year, but most arrive in April and depart in November. Listen for Elegant Trogons’ repetitive, resonant calls in the early morning of April to May and again in late June to July. They are most easily seen when they erupt into flight after a prey item. At other times they tend to sit motionless, although typically in the upper understory or lower canopy, where they can still be fairly easy to spot if you look carefully.

Other Names

  • Trogón Elegante (Spanish)
  • Trogon élégant (French)
  • Cool Facts