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Ward's trogon

Indian birds › Himalayan swiftlet › Ward's trogon - Harpactes wardi.

The Ward's trogon (Harpactes wardi) belongs to the family of trogons and quetzals, Trogonidae in the order Trogoniformes.

These species of trogons are distributed in Northeast India (Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan, Northeast Myanmar, China (West Yunnan province) and Vietnam (Tonkin region). The Ward's trogon is a sparsely distributed species and it has a moderately small population which is under steady decline. All over its range, this trogon species is becoming uncommon and rare due to habitat loss and degradation.

Appearance, description and pictures
Distribution and habitat
Feeding and breeding habits
Migration and conservation status

Ward's trogon - Overview

Scientific name: AHarpactes wardi
Species author: (Kinnear, 1927)
Synonyms: Pyrotrogon wardi Kinnear, 1927
Family: Trogonidae › Trogoniformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
Common Name: Ward's trogon
Other languages: Chinese: 红腹咬鹃, French: Trogon de Ward, German: Rosenschwanztrogon, Spanish: Trogón de Ward, Russian: Розовохвостый азиатский трогон, Japanese: ビルマキヌバネドリ
Other names: Ward's Trogon
Distribution: India, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Vietnam
Diet and feeding habits: grasshoppers, beetles, mantises, moths, berries, fruits, seeds
IUCN status listing: Near Threatened (NT)

Appearance, physical description and identification

The Ward's trogon (Harpactes wardi) is a small arboreal bird measuring about 35 to 40 cm in length and weighing 110 to 120 grams. The upperparts are deep maroon and the upperside of wings is dark, metallic, slaty gray with thin long white streaks.

The crown and the upper face of trogon are pinkish crimson. The upper chest is brownish maroon. The lower chest and abdomen is pinkish crimson. The tail is long and central feathers are deep bluish gray. The outer tail feathers are light pink. The bill is deep pink. The irises of this trogon are black and the bare eye-ring is blue.

Indian birds - Image of Ward's trogon - Harpactes wardi

Birds of India - Picture of Ward's trogon - Harpactes wardi by soumyajit nandy

Birds of India - Image of Ward's trogon - Harpactes wardi

Indian birds - Ward's trogon - Harpactes wardi

Birds of India - Ward's trogon - Harpactes wardi

Origin, geographical range and distribution

The Ward's trogon is distributed in Northeast India (Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan, Northeast Myanmar, China (West Yunnan province) and Vietnam (Tonkin region). It has become uncommon and rare in all these areas.

The Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) where there is likely presence of Ward's trogon in India are, Chayang Tajo - Khenewa - Lada, Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary, Dichu Reserve Forest, Eaglenest and Sessa Sanctuaries, Koloriang - Sarli - Damin area, Lava - Neora Valley National Park, Lowland forests of South Sikkim, Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, Shergaon, Mandla - Phudung and Kalaktang and Zemithang - Nelya.

Ecosystem and habitat

These Ward's trogon species have high forest dependency and prefer montane forests. They inhabit lower story of the montane evergreen, seasonal rainforests, subtropical hill forests, bamboo forests and semi-evergreen forests.

Diet and feeding habits

The diet of the Ward's trogon is mostly insects like grasshoppers, beetles, mantises, crickets, moths, butterflies, cicadas and locust. It also feeds on berries, fruits and seeds.

Reproduction and breeding habits

The breeding season of these trogon species is assumed to be from March to April, as birds in breeding conditions were spotted during this period. Nesting sites and nests are not recorded. It is assumed that like rest of these trogon family, they may be nesting in holes in trees excavated with their bill.

Migration and movement patterns

These Ward's trogon species are non migratory resident birds. Post breeding dispersal of juveniles takes place. They may make local movements for feeding and breeding. They make local altitudinal migration, moving to lower elevations in foothills and valleys during the winter.

Conservation status and concerns

The global population size of the Ward's trogon has not been quantified. The overall population size is considered to be under decline. Their generation length is 7.3 years. This trogon is a sparsely distributed species and it has a moderately small population which is under steady decline. All over its range, this trogon species is becoming uncommon and rare due to habitat loss and degradation.

The Ward's trogon is slowly approaching the thresholds for being Vulnerable under the range size criterion, the population trend criterion and the population size criterion. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the Ward's trogon (Harpactes wardi) and has listed it as "Near Threatened (NT)".

Taxonomy and scientific classification of Harpactes wardi
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Trogoniformes
Family:	Trogonidae
Subfamily:	-
Genus:	Harpactes
Species:	H. wardi
Binomial name:	Harpactes wardi
IUCN status listing:	Near Threatened

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1.Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Harpactes_wardi_-Eaglenest_Wildlife_Sanctuary,_Arunachal_Pradesh,_India-8.jpg
Image author: soumyajit nandy | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 (as on 2016-12-02)
2.Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
Image author: Allan Drewitt et al | License: Public domain
3.Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
Image author: Allan Drewitt et al | License: Public domain
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Red-headed trogon

Home › Indian swiftlet › Red-headed trogon - Harpactes erythrocephalus.

The red-headed trogon (Harpactes erythrocephalus) is a dimorphic arboreal bird, belonging to the family of trogons and quetzals, Trogonidae. These trogon species are distributed in Northeast India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia and southern China. The male birds are colorful and are crimson and rusty brown. There are ten subspecies of red-headed trogon.

Red-headed trogon - Overview

Scientific name: Harpactes erythrocephalus
Species author: (Gould, 1834)
Synonyms: Trogon erythrocephalus Gould, 1834
Family: Trogonidae › Trogoniformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
Common Name: Red-headed trogon
Other languages: Chinese: 红头咬鹃, French: Trogon à tête rouge, German: Rotkopftrogon, Spanish: Trogón cabecirrojo, Russian: Красноголовый азиатский трогон, Malay: Burung Kesumba Gunung, Japanese: ズアカキヌバネドリ, Indonesian: Burung Luntur Kepala-merah
Other names: Red headed Trogon
Distribution: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, China
Diet and feeding habits: stick-insects, beetles, cicadas, locust, millipedes, butterflies, flies, grasshoppers, centipedes, aphids, leaves, berries, fruits
IUCN status listing: Least Concern (LC)

The ten recognized subspecies of Harpactes erythrocephalus are: H. e. erythrocephalus (Gould, 1834), H. e. flagrans (S. Müller, 1836), H. e. helenae Mayr, 1941, H. e. chaseni Riley, 1934, H. e. yamakanensis Rickett, 1899, H. e. klossi (Robinson, 1915), H. e. rosa (Stresemann, 1929), H. e. annamensis (Robinson & Kloss, 1919), H. e. intermedius (Kinnear, 1925 and H. e. hainanus Ogilvie-Grant, 1900.

Appearance, physical description and identification

The red-headed trogon is a medium-sized, dimorphic, arboreal bird measuring 31 to 35 cm in length and weighing 80 to 110 grams. In trogon males, the head, neck and mid-breast are crimson. There is a narrow white breast-band passing along the mid-breast. The lower half of the breast and abdomen are lighter red and pink. The mantle and back are rusty brown.

There is black-white vermiculation on median wing coverts, secondary coverts, tertials and secondaries. The red-headed trogon primary feathers are black and white. The central tail feathers are long and are dark brown with a black tip. The second and third pairs of tail feathers are black. The outer pair are white with black bases. In male trogon the legs are pale purple-blue and the bill is blue in color. The irises are brown with blue eye-ring.

The female trogon has olive-brown plumage on the head, neck and breast. It has a white band in the mid-breast region. The lower breast and the abdomen are colored light red and pink. The mantle and the back are brown. The wings have dark brown vermiculation. The female trogon bill, gape and the eye-ring are pale blue.

Birds of India -Red-headed trogon - Harpactes erythrocephalus

Image of Red-headed trogon - Harpactes erythrocephalus - by Tontan Travel

Indian birds - Red-headed trogon - Harpactes erythrocephalus

Birds of India - Red-headed trogon - Harpactes erythrocephalus

Birds of India -Red-headed trogon - Harpactes erythrocephalus

Origin, geographical range and distribution

The red-headed trogon species are distributed in North India, South China, Myanmar, Malay peninsula, Indochina and Indonesia. The subspecies H. e. chaseni is distributed in the upland forests in Malay Peninsula. The subspecies H. e. annamensis is distributed in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

The red-headed trogon subspecies H. e. intermedius is distributed in Vietnam and Laos. The subspecies H. e. rosa is distributed in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is South Central China. The trogon subspecies H. e. helenae is distributed in Myanmar and South China. The subspecies H. e. erythrocephalus is distributed in Nepal, North India, Myanmar and Thailand.

The red-headed trogon subspecies H. e. yamakanensis is distributed in Southeast China. The subspecies H. e. hainanus is distributed in Hainan Island (China). The trogon subspecies H. e. klossi is distributed in Cambodia and East Thailand. The subspecies H. e. flagrans is distributed in the mountains of Sumatra (Indonesia).

Ecosystem and habitat

These trogon species prefer upland forest systems. They inhabit submontane and montane forests, rocky hills and hillside forests, dense broad-leaved forests, tropical and subtropical forests, bamboo forests and evergreen forests.