Bird Guide

Black-headed Trogon vs Gartered Trogon

Black-headed Trogon (Trogon melanocephalus)

Black-headed Trogon

Trogon melanocephalus

Medium85 gForest

The black-headed trogon is 27 to 28 cm (11 to 11 in) long and weighs about 74 to 95 g (2.6 to 3.4 oz). Adults of both sexes have slate-black to black head, neck, and chest. A sky-blue ring of bare skin surrounds the dark eye. A thin white line separates the chest from the rest of their underparts, which are cadmium to chrome yellow that becomes lighter at the vent area. The two inner pairs of tail feathers are metallic bronze breen to bluish green with black tips. The next pair are all black and the outermost three pairs are black with wide white tips. Voice: The black-headed trogon is vocal and often detected by its calls. The most common call is " a loud series of 15-20 accelerating clucks or 'cuck' notes". It is sometimes sung by a pair as a duet and also by small groups of individuals. The species' alarm call is "a single low 'cuck'".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Tony Hisgett · CC BY 2.0
Gartered Trogon (Trogon caligatus)

Gartered Trogon

Trogon caligatus

Small47 g

Most trogons have distinctive male and female plumages, with soft, often colorful, feathers. The gartered trogon is 23 to 25 cm (9.1 to 9.8 in) long and weighs 38 to 57 g (1.3 to 2.0 oz). The nominate male's head, neck, and upper breast are a violet-blue. The face and throat are black with a pale yellow ring around the eye. A narrow white band separates the upper breast from the bright yellow lower breast and belly. The upperparts are metallic green. The tail's upperside is violet-blue with black feather tips; the underside has fine black and white bars and broad white feather tips. Voice: The gartered trogon's song is "a long series of rapid hollow downslurred notes, kyu-kyu-kyu-kyu-kyu-kyu". It also makes a "rolling chattering" call.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago · CC0

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in BeakBrain

Photo and call practice, free in any browser.

Play BeakBrain

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-headed Trogon and Gartered Trogon.