The black-tailed trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found Panama and northern South America.
Region
Panama and northern South American lowlands (including the Amazon Basin and Guianas)
Typical Environment
Inhabits lowland and foothill humid evergreen forests, including terra firme, seasonally flooded várzea, gallery forests, and tall secondary growth. Often found along forest edges, river corridors, and near fruiting trees. Prefers midstory to canopy strata where perches provide clear sallying routes. Typically avoids heavily open habitats but may enter well-wooded plantations and edges.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The black-tailed trogon is a vivid, sit-and-wait predator of tropical forests, often remaining motionless before sallying out to snatch insects or pluck fruit. It frequently nests in arboreal termite nests or rotting wood, which it excavates using its stout bill. Males are strikingly colored while females are more subdued, aiding concealment in dense foliage.
Female Black-tailed Trogon
San Francisco Reserve, Darien - Panama
Temperament
quiet and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides between perches
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs within well-wooded territories. Nests in cavities, often excavated in arboreal termite nests or soft, decayed wood. Both sexes share incubation and chick-rearing duties. Often associates loosely with mixed-species flocks when foraging on fruiting trees.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives soft, resonant hoots and low, repetitive cow or coo notes delivered at measured intervals. Calls carry surprisingly well through dense forest but are easily overlooked amid ambient jungle sounds.
Plumage
Male with glossy green head and upperparts, contrasting bright yellow belly, and a mostly black tail with fine pale barring below; female is gray-brown above with duller underparts and similar blackish tail patterning. Both sexes show a subtle white barring on the undertail and soft, finely vermiculated tail feathers. The bill is short, broad, and slightly hooked.
Diet
Eats a mix of large insects and other arthropods, along with various small fruits and berries. Forages by perch-and-sally, launching short flights to snatch prey from foliage or to catch it in midair. Also gleans fruit from branches and occasionally follows mixed flocks to exploit disturbed insects.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mainly in the midstory and lower canopy along forest edges, riverbanks, and clearings with fruiting trees. Frequently visits shaded forest interiors where perches offer clear foraging lanes.
