The orange-breasted trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is a colorful, sedentary species that inhabits the lower canopy of the lowlands and forest of southern China, southeast Asia, Borneo, Sumatra and Java.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Found in the lower to mid-levels of evergreen and mixed forests from southern China through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam to Peninsular Malaysia, and on Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. It favors dense, shaded interiors and edges of primary and well-structured secondary forest. The species often frequents riparian corridors and forested foothills. It is largely sedentary within home ranges and rarely ventures into open habitats.
Altitude Range
0–1700 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The orange-breasted trogon is a quietly perching forest bird that often remains motionless for long periods before sallying out to snatch prey. Trogons have a unique heterodactyl toe arrangement, with the first and second toes pointing backward and the third and fourth forward. They nest in cavities excavated in rotten wood or termite nests, with both sexes sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties.
In Khao Yai National Park
Painting by John Gould
Temperament
quiet and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, joining mixed-species flocks occasionally while foraging. Breeding pairs excavate a cavity in rotten stumps or termite nests, laying a small clutch of eggs. Both sexes participate in incubation and feeding of the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, mellow series of hoots or whistles given at intervals, often accelerating slightly. Calls are low, ventriloquial notes that carry through dense forest but are easy to overlook.
Plumage
Male with olive-green to bronze head, rufous-brown upperparts, and vivid orange breast merging into yellow-orange underparts; wings show fine black-and-white vermiculation. Female is duller with brown head and back and paler orange-buff underparts. The tail underside is whitish with a bold black subterminal band and fine barring.
Diet
Primarily hunts insects such as orthopterans, stick insects, caterpillars, and beetles, taken by short sallies from a perch or by deft gleaning. Occasionally consumes small fruits, including figs, especially when insect prey is less abundant. Foraging is methodical and patient, with long pauses between short bursts of activity.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the lower to mid-canopy of dense evergreen forest, along shaded trails, ravines, and stream edges. Often uses quiet, secluded perches with good vantage over foliage-rich strata.
