The red-headed trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs from the Himalayan foothills of northern India, Nepal, and Bhutan through northeastern India and Myanmar into southern China (including Yunnan) and mainland Southeast Asia to Vietnam and Thailand. It inhabits evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, mature secondary growth, and shady ravines with dense understory. Birds favor the midstory and lower canopy, often along forest edges and near streams. They are typically local and patchy where good forest remains, with some altitudinal movements following seasons.
Altitude Range
300–2500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The red-headed trogon is a quiet, forest-dwelling member of the family Trogonidae, often detected by its mellow, mournful calls rather than by sight. It spends much of its time perched motionless in the midstory, sallying to snatch insects and occasionally fruit. Both sexes excavate a nest cavity in rotting wood or a termite nest, a hallmark behavior of many trogons.
Close-up of a male's head. note the blue eye-ring and blue bill
A male red-headed trogon in Garbganga, Assam, India
A red-headed trogon in Neora Valley National Park
A reproductive pair of red-headed trogons
Temperament
solitary and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, perching quietly for long periods in the midstory. Breeding pairs excavate a nest cavity in decayed trunks, stumps, or termite mounds, with both sexes participating. Clutch size is small, and both adults share incubation and chick provisioning.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of mellow, mournful hoots or koo notes, often accelerating slightly. Calls carry through dense forest but are soft in tone, aiding detection of this otherwise inconspicuous bird.
