Plate 018 · male beside a tree-termite nest IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Blue crown and breast in the male.
- 2Orange eye-ring bare, on a black face.
- 3Yellowish bill, short and broad.
- 4Red belly contrasting with the blue breast.
- 5Grey vermiculated wing with black primaries.
- 6Barred undertail black and white, tipped white.
Easily confused with Surucua TrogonTrogon surrucuraLives in northeast Argentina, not in the Yungas. Undertail mostly white. 018 / 100 · BIRDS · TROGONIDAELEAST CONCERN Blue-crowned Trogon
Trogon curucui
Surucuá aurora
It sits still on a branch for long spells, so it is hard to spot despite its red belly. To breed it digs a chamber into a termite nest or rotten wood. In Tucumán it is near the southern edge of its range and is scarce.
- Length
- c. 25 cm
- Altitude
- 400 – c. 1,200 m
- Nest
- dug into a termite nest
- In Tucumán
- scarce, southern limit
- Still and discreet
- Fruit and insects
- Foothill forest
- Digs its nest
Altitude rangeMostly in the lower forest
All year In the northwest it lives in foothill forest and the lower montane forest. Altitude limits in Tucumán are approximate because records are few.
FoodPlucked in flight
- Large insectscaterpillars, beetles, cicadas
- Small fruitplucked on the wing
- Larvaein foliage
It watches from a branch, makes a short flight to pluck an insect or fruit off a leaf, and perches again.
BehaviourThe art of keeping still
- Motionless. It perches upright and barely moves; it is found by its voice.
- Digs its nest. It excavates a chamber in tree-termite nests or soft wood.
- Repeated call. A long series of soft, hollow notes, all alike.
Where to look in Tucumán- Parque Provincial La Florida
- Río Los Sosa
- Quebrada de Lules
- Sierra de San Javier