canyon notes: six. elegant is an
Understatement. By Karen Mcbride
And
now, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Birders and SOB's
(Spouses of Birders, often being dragged behind the Birder)----the
Star of our Show! He is exotic. He is rare. He is colorful,
beautiful, stunning, and makes you suck in your breath, even
if you've seen him many times before. It's Trogon time!
Yes,
the Elegant Trogons are arriving. If you look at a range map
for this bird, you will see one tiny corner of color that crosses
the U.S. border into Southeastern Arizona, with the rest of
the range going south through Mexico into Central America. For
some reason, trogons gravitate to well-watered, deep sycamore
canyons in Arizona , but prefer relatively dry areas farther
south.
The
male's costume is memorable and unlike anything else in North
America . The back is a metallic green that shades from blue-green
to bronze-hued in different lights. There is a white band across
the upper chest to separate the green from a geranium-red lower
breast and belly. The large bill is yellow; the large eyes are
surrounded by a complete reddish-orange eye-ring; the tail is
long and square-ended, slightly coppery-colored on the back,
and from a distance looks like there are six white spots underneath.
This 12" package is truly elegant!
Many
times you hear a trogon before you see one. The far-carrying,
rapid “Ku-WARK, Ku-WARK, Ku-WARK....” echoes through Madera
Canyon and sounds like a small dog barking in the distance.
And it's definitely easier to hear one than to see one. That's
mainly because this bird likes to sit quietly on a branch with
his green back toward you, blending perfectly into the foliage.
He will sit there for five or ten minutes, swoop down for an
insect, and then sit on the next perch for a while. Sometimes
you have to try and find him during the swoop. Females are duller,
browner, and even harder to see even though they have a red
belly.
Trogons
eat a variety of large insects, such as moths, beetles, grasshoppers,
caterpillars, and dragonflies. They will also hover-feed on
fruits and insects. Their territory usually averages one-half-mile
of prime habitat which will include a sycamore along a stream
that has a woodpecker hole or cavity where the male can call
to perspective females from inside the hole. The pair will incubate
2 - 4 eggs and will become completely silent after the young
fledge in July and August. Most leave Arizona during September
and October, but a few will winter along streams at lower elevations.
Because they usually do not call during the winter, and have
to range farther to find food, they are especially hard to locate.
So,
spring is the best time, folks. Stroll slowly up the Vault Mine
Trail from Madera 's upper parking lots, or meander along the
Proctor Trail anywhere from the bottom to the top, and you have
a good chance of finding our rare and elegant visitor. But please
keep your distance. Trogons are easily disturbed and their nests
are vulnerable. Approach quietly (not too close) and stand still,
and when you get a good look, I dare you not to suck in your
breath!
Elegant
Trogon. Photo by George West.
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