Blue-crowned Trogon Trogon curucui Scientific name definitions

Blue-crowned Trogon is fairly uncommon throughout its large range. It occurs in lowland humid forest, particularly in várzea, and seem to prefer edges and second growth. Like other trogons, it forages on small arthropods and fruit, often perching motionlessly for long periods of time. To distinguish Blue-crowned from other trogons, note especially the red belly and black tail fairly barred with white, field marks that are present in both sexes. The male also has a blue head and breast, whereas females are gray throughout their head, breast, and back. The song is a series of fairly high yelping notes that often crescendos in the middle. The nest of Blue-crowned Trogon is a tunnel dug into an active arboreal termite mound.

24 cm; 39–63 g. Male nominate race with bill yellow, orbital ring  orange; forecrown, face and throat blackish; rest of crown, sides of neck and breast  glossy greenish-blue, turquoise-green on nape; upperparts  metallic bronze-green, uppertail  greenish-blue; wingpanel very densely vermiculated (appearing grey in field); breastband white, underparts  otherwise rosy-red; undertail black with narrow white bars and broader white tips. Female  has yellow bill, strong broken white eyering, grey head, breast, upperparts and uppertail, wingpanel with distinct white bars, white breastband with pinkish-red below, blackish undertail with white outer vanes (often black-notched) and terminal bars. Race <em>peruvianus</em> has slight bluish gloss to upperparts, little or no white breastline, narrow white barring on undertail; behni slightly larger, possibly more bronze-backed with greener-tinged breast.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Occupies a variety of habitats, mainly canopy, subcanopy and understorey of várzea, gallery and other river-margin forest, transition forest, tall second growth, monsoon forest, savanna woodland, dry semi-deciduous forest, dry palm forest, lake margins and forest openings, woodland edge and scrub; occurs up to at least 500 m, and probably higher. Reaches higher elevations in S half of range, occurring as high as 1750 m in Bolivia, and common in montane woodland to 1500 m in Argentina. In Formosa, Argentina, found in islands of dry forest formed by Tabebuia, Celtis, Schinopsis, Prosopis, etc. In Piauí, Brazil, recorded from buriti palm swamp vegetation and surrounding dry scrub forest (mata seca) and caatinga (bushy-arboreal and arboreal).

Diet consists principally of insects  , with typical items including hairy caterpillars, Orthoptera (grasshoppers and bush-crickets), beetles (Chrysomelidae, Alleculidae), dragonflies (Anisoptera), Hemiptera (Reduviidae), stick-insects (Bacteriidae), mantises, Homoptera (cicadas) and wasps, as well as spiders; also various small fruits (e.g. Lauraceae). Joins mixed-species flocks.

Song like that of T. viridis or a slow version of Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla), but tends to accelerate throughout, then stop abruptly; also purring calls like congeners.

Recorded May in Colombia, Jul in Peru; Sept in Mato Grosso, Jul in Pará, Brazil; Oct in Bolivia, Oct–Dec in NE Argentina. Nest  situated in termitarium; in one case reported, the birds used a nest of Nasutitermes corniger 2·3 m above ground in a citrus tree; another 5 m up a tree, with entrance 6·5 × 7 cm, passing down a tunnel 15 cm long to a chamber 10–12 cm in diameter; other known nests located 0·5–4 m above ground. Clutch 2–3 eggs. No further information available.

Not globally threatened. Uncommon in Colombia; fairly common in Peru, where in floodplain-forest measured territories c.7 ha, with as many as 8·5 pairs/km², but uncommon at Tambopata. Present in Bolivia in Beni Biological Station and in Madidi, Amboró and Noel Kempff Mercado National Parks; common in subtropical zone of Chuquisaca and Tarija. In Argentina, common in El Rey National Park (Salta), and present in Calilegua and Río Pilcomayo National Parks. In Brazil, fairly common in Serra da Capivara National Park, Piauí, and present in Tapajós National Park, Pará.