- Narina Trogon
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Narina Trogon 
Adult male in South Africa Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Trogoniformes Family: Trogonidae Genus: Apaloderma Species: A. narina Binomial name Apaloderma narina
(Stephens, 1815)The Narina Trogon, Apaloderma narina, is a medium-sized (up to 34 cm long), largely green forest bird in the Trogonidae family, the most widespread and catholic in habitat choice of three Apaloderma trogons. The species name is Khoikhoi in origin, believed to be named after Narina, the mistress of the French ornithologist François Le Vaillant.
Appearance
Both sexes have vivid, gingery green upperpart plumage. The tail feathers have a metallic blue-green gloss. The outer three rectices on each side are tipped and fringed white, giving the undertail of perched birds a characteristic white appearance (compare Bar-tailed Trogon). The wing coverts are a grizzled grey, and remiges mostly colourless grey.
The male especially, has bright amaranth red underside plumage and bare, green gape and eye flanges. The female has a brown face and chest, blue skin orbiting eyes and duller red plumage below. Immature birds resemble females, but have distinct white tips to the tertials, and less distinct gape and eye flanges.
Range and habitat
The species has a large range in Africa, inhabiting lowland to highland, valley and riverine forests, from tropical to temperate regions, those occurring in highlands dispersing seasonally to lower levels. It is found from Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, and east Africa to eastern and southern South Africa. Widespread throughout its large range, the Narina Trogon is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Habits
The diet consists mainly of insects and small invertebrates as well as rodents and small reptiles. The call is a grating, low repeated hoot, given by males only, in defending territory or attracting mates. The male's bare, blue-green throat patch is expanded when calling and both sexes may fluff out the breast feathers in display. They nest in a tree hollow in which both sexes incubate or brood.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Apaloderma narina. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 31 October 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
External links
Trogons (order: Trogoniformes • family: Trogonidae) Genus Apaloderma Narina Trogon • Bare-cheeked Trogon • Bar-tailed TrogonApalharpactes Harpactes Priotelus Trogon Black-headed Trogon • Citreoline Trogon • White-tailed Trogon • Baird's Trogon • Violaceous Trogon • Gartered Trogon • Mountain Trogon • White-eyed Trogon • Collared Trogon • Elegant Trogon • Orange-bellied Trogon • Masked Trogon • Black-throated Trogon • Surucua Trogon • Blue-crowned Trogon • Black-tailed Trogon • Green-backed Trogon • Ecuadorian Trogon • Slaty-tailed Trogon • Lattice-tailed TrogonEuptilotis Pharomachrus Categories:- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Apaloderma
- Birds of Africa
- Birds of Ethiopia
- Birds of Sierra Leone
- Birds of South Africa
- Birds of Zambia
- Birds of Zimbabwe
- Animals described in 1815
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