__NOTOC__ The Narina trogon (''Apaloderma narina'') is a largely green and red, medium-sized (32–34 cm long), bird of the family

Trogonidae The trogons and quetzals are birds in the order Trogoniformes which contains only one family, the Trogonidae. The family Trogonidae contains 46 species in seven genera. The fossil record of the trogons dates back 49 million years to the Early E ...

. It is native to forests and woodlands of the

Afrotropics The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

. Though it is the most widespread and catholic in habitat choice of the three ''

Apaloderma ''Apaloderma'' is a genus of birds in the family Trogonidae. The name is a compound word composed of two Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek ...

'' species, their numbers are locally depleted due to deforestation. Some populations are sedentary while others undertake regular movements. The species name commemorates Narina, mistress of French

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

François Levaillant, whose name he derived from a Khoikhoi word for "flower", as her given name was difficult to pronounce.

Description

left, 160px, It is sexually dimorphic, with males more brightly coloured. 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 bar-tailed trogon (''Apaloderma vittatum'') is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is a resident bird to central Africa that eats primarily insects and fruits. Description The bar-tailed trogon averages about long. The bill and f ...

). The wing coverts are a grizzled grey, and remiges mostly colourless grey. The male especially, has bright

amaranth ''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants. Catkin-like cymes of densely pack ...

red underside plumage and bare, green gape and eye flanges. The female has brown face and chest plumage, blue skin orbiting the eyes and duller red plumage below. Immature birds resemble females, but have distinct white tips to the tertials (inner wing), and less distinct gape and eye flanges.

Range and habitat

The species has a large range in Africa, inhabiting lowland to highland, valley and riparian 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 East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

to eastern and southern South Africa. Due to its wide range and varied habitat choice, the Narina trogon is considered to be a species of least conservation concern.

Habits and nesting

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.

Races

Narina Trogon - Uganda H8O4347 (16120379110), crop

There are 4 to 6 accepted races: * ''A. n.'' subsp. ''constantia'' Sharpe & Ussher, 1872 :Range: Senegal to Nigeria * ''A. n.'' subsp. ''arcanum'' Clancey, 1959 :Range: Chad to n Kenya * ''A. n.'' subsp. ''brachyurum'' Chapin, 1923 :Range: s Cameroon to Rift Valley * ''A. n.'' subsp. ''littorale'' van Someren, 1931 – Type from Sokoke Forest :Range: Somalia to Chirinda Forest, Zimbabwe * ''A. n.'' subsp. ''rufiventre'' A.J.C.Dubois, 1897 – Type from Mpala, DRC :Range: s DRC to s Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia to Eastern Highlands * ''A. n.'' subsp. ''narina'' (Stephens, 1815) – Type from Knysna, South Africa :Range: South Africa to s Mozambique, winters northwards to Malawi

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet
* Narina trogon
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q370629 Narina trogon Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa Narina trogon