Fun Trogon Facts For Kids

Trogons refer to trogans and quetzals, which are birds belonging to the Trogonidae family. This family consists of seven genera and 46 species of birds, all which are called as trogons. These birds all share similar characteristics, being shy, round headed colorful birds.

Their name trogon (Greek for gnaw or bite) refers to the manner in which they build their nest, often using their beaks to break through holes in trees to create cavities to lay their eggs in.

They are found in subtropical and tropical forests all over the world, found at mid-level among the dense trees and feeding on insects and fruits. Regional differences can be observed in trogons according to climate, diet and environment.

To read more about these long tailed flying friends, read on! You can also learn more interesting facts on our great green macaw and Amazon parrot pages.

Trogon Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a trogon?

Trogons refers to an order of birds, the Trogoniformes, which contains a single family, the Trogonidae.

What class of animal does a trogon belong to?

Trogons belong to the class of Aves, as they are a family of birds.

How many trogons are there in the world?

Since the family Trogonidae is very large and consists of around 46 species, it is very difficult to ascertain their exact number. However, most of the trogon species are listed as of Least Concern, hence we can assume that they are abundantly available in the wild.

Where does a trogon live?

Trogons can be found all over the world, living in a variety of forests. They can usually be found in tropical and subtropical forests, with some species occurring in montane alpine regions. They are not usually found on islands, only being observed in Southeast Asian and Caribbean island nations respectively.

What is a trogon's habitat?

They mostly prefer living in dense, moist forests with canopies. Trogons can be seen nesting at mid-story or canopy height, building their nests in cavities in hollow trees, or abandoned termite nests and logs.

Who do trogon live with?

Trogons have been observed to flock in groups of three to 12 individuals around the breeding season. Normally, trogon birds can be seen nesting in trees or roosting on a perch with their mate.

How long does a trogon live?

There is no information for how long trogon birds live.

How do they reproduce?

A trogon pair mates for life. The male attracts the female by singing, with the quetzal often accompanying this with beautiful displays of flight.

After pairing, they build a sparse nest in the hollow of a tree or abandoned termite nest. This long tailed bird will use its tail to test the firmness of the tree, making sure it is hard enough to withstand to stay put yet soft enough to dig with its beak.

The female will then lay four to six eggs, which both parents will incubate for around 16-19 days until they hatch. The chicks typically leave the nest after 23-25 days.

What is their conservation status?

Trogons are commonly found in subtropical, tropical and rainforests all over the world. The conservation status of most species being Least Concern. Out of the rest, ten are near threatened with decreasing population, and the blue tailed Javan trogon is endangered due to rapid habitat loss.

Trogon Fun Facts

What do trogon look like?

There are around 46 different species of trogon birds in the order Trogoniformes, all which share a number of identifying characteristics. True to most birds found in tropical forests, they are brightly colored with mostly blue, green and red plumage.

They are known for their small, long tailed bodies and short muscular wings.

They are round headed with large eyes and weak necks, hence they require the support of their wings to turn around.

They have short, broad beaks which are slightly curved at the end, ideal for eating fruits with. Their most defining feature however, is their feet, which have two forward facing toes with the rest pointing backwards, they are the only animal to exist which have this type of toe formation.

They are also sexually dimorphic, with the male being more brightly colored than the female in every trogon species.

How cute are they?

With their various rainbow colored plumages and small round bodies, trogon birds are very attractive indeed.

How do they communicate?

Trogons have loud, simple calls, which consist of a series of whistles and hoots in different patterns. They have separate mating calls used during the breeding season which are usually aggressive in nature in terms of males, as well as loud alarm calls in times of danger.

How big is a trogon?

The order Trogoniformes consists of 46 species, all which vary in size. The approximate range of length of trogons is between 9.1-16 in (23-40.6 cm).

How fast can a trogon fly?

There is not much information on how fast order Trogoniformes birds can fly. They are swift, silent flyers, using their short, muscular wings to propel themselves forward.

How much does a trogon weigh?

Trogons usually weigh between 1.4-7.4 oz (39.6-209.7 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names for the male and female trogons of the Trogonidae family, males simply being known as cocks and females as hens.

What would you call a baby trogon?

Baby trogons are called as chicks, hatchlings or fledglings.

What do they eat?

Trogons are mostly insectivorous in nature, and they enjoy feasting on various invertebrates such as caterpillars, flies and snails. They hunt by observing their prey from a tree perch, and will swoop down to kill it while it is caught off guard.

Are they dangerous?

Trogons are not very dangerous, in fact they are known for being quite inactive. The male trogon can be territorial and aggressive during the breeding season, however that is only towards males of its own species. However being wild birds, they will attack defensively if provoked, so it is best to observe them from afar.

Would they make a good pet?

As trogons are wild birds, it is advised against keeping them as pets. They require space as they are accustomed to having huge forests as their habitat. However, they are very colorful and will make great additions to any aviary.

Did you know...

Trogons are very cautious birds and can move their head around till an almost 360 degree extent.

Trogons are the only bird to possess heterodactyl toes. This means that their first and second toes point forward, while the rest are facing backwards.

Trogons usually expand on their hollow nests by biting through the rotting wood with their beaks. The name trogon alludes to this, this Greek word meaning to gnaw or bite.

One species of trogon, the violaceous trogon, builds its nest in active wasp nests.

The quetzal bird, which belongs to the Pharomachrus genus of the family Trogonidae, is considered among the most beautiful birds in the world. They are usually vivid green with bright red bellies, and a golden green head.

Quetzal means large brilliant tail feather in the Mexican language of Nahuati. They were named so after the long tail quetzal found in Guetamala. Despite their colorful, parrot like appearance, they belong to a separate order.

The trogon elegans is the trogon species with the most geographical range in the world- being found from Arizona in the north to Guatemala in the south.

Trogon also refers to the genus trogon, which is one of the seven genera in the Trogonidae family.

What is Cuba's national bird?

The Cuban trogon, also known as the tocoloro or tocororo, is the national bird of Cuba. It is a beautiful bird species with blue wings, white breast and a red belly. Its colors mirroring those of the Cuban flag. It is an endemic species, being very commonly found all over the island of Cuba.

Do trogon migrate?

Most trogons are non-migratory resident birds. As they normally live in subtropical and tropical forests, this eliminates any need for them to relocate for the winter. The few exceptions to this are Trogoniformes species who live in higher altitude montane forests, who simply shift to lower regions in the area during the winter.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these hyacinth macaw facts and toco toucan facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable trogon coloring pages.