About the Whitehead's Trogon
Whitehead's trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is an uncommon resident in primary mountain forest. One of Borneo's largest trogons at 29 to 33 cm long, it is sexually dimorphic. The male is crimson on the head, nape, and underparts, with a black throat and grey chest; the rest of his upperparts are cinnamon-coloured. The female is similarly patterned, but cinnamon-brown where the male is scarlet. The species was first described for science by Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1888, who named it for British explorer and collector John Whitehead. There are no subspecies.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Like most trogons, Whitehead's trogon is sexually dimorphic; the male is considerably more colorful than the female. It ranks among Borneo's largest trogons, measuring 29 to 33 cm (11 to 13 in) in length. The male is crimson on the forehead, crown, nape, and sides of the head, with bare blue skin around the eyes. The rest of his upperparts are cinnamon-brown. His throat is black, shading into a grey breast, but the rest of his underparts are crimson. His wings are primarily black, with fine white barring on the secondaries and coverts. Voice: Whitehead's trogon vocalises only rarely. Its song is a loud series of four to five harsh, slow notes, evenly pitched and variously transcribed as "kwau kwau kwau kwau", "wark wark wark wark", or "poop poop poop poop". It also has a rolling "burr" call, which is sometimes followed by a loud, descending "kekekeke".
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in March · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Ward's TrogonHarpactes wardiWard's trogon measures 35 to 38 cm (14–15 in) in length and weighs 115–120 g (4.1–4.2 oz).
Philippine TrogonHarpactes ardensThe Philippine trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae.
Cinnamon-rumped TrogonHarpactes orrhophaeusThe cinnamon-rumped trogon is a close relative of the scarlet-rumped trogon, which also resides in the Malay peninsula and Indonesia.
Learn the Whitehead's Trogon for real
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