Facts about Resplendent Trogon
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Female resplendent trogons display duller olive-brown coloring compared to males, with iridescent plumage restricted primarily to their heads and upper breasts.
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Pairs of resplendent trogons remain monogamous throughout breeding seasons, with both parents sharing incubation duties for clutches of two white eggs lasting approximately 17 to 18 days.
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Resplendent trogons weigh only 180 to 210 grams despite their elaborate plumage, making them surprisingly lightweight for their visually imposing appearance in cloud forests.
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Courtship displays of resplendent trogons involve males hovering vertically while fanning their tail feathers to reveal iridescent underside plumage to females.
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Sacred to the Quetzal people of ancient Mesoamerica, the resplendent trogon served as a symbol of freedom because its tail feathers were considered too delicate to survive captivity.
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Approximately 40 percent of resplendent trogon diet consists of fruit, particularly avocados and wild berries, supplemented by insects caught mid-flight.
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Resplendent trogons require altitudes between 1,200 and 3,000 meters in their Central American range, making them exclusively montane forest inhabitants sensitive to elevation changes.
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Males of this species produce a distinctive five-note whistled call that descends in pitch, serving as their primary territorial advertisement in montane forests.
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In cloud forests of Central America, resplendent trogons nest exclusively in holes excavated by woodpeckers or naturally formed cavities 10 to 40 meters high in dead trees.
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The resplendent trogon's tail feathers can exceed 25 centimeters in length, with males displaying iridescent green plumage that shifts between blue and purple hues.