Orange-breasted Trogon

The Orange-breasted Trogon is the perfect example of differences in observation or identification: the Anglo-Saxons called it the Orange-breasted Trogon, and the scientific name, Harpactes oreskios, can be translated as the bandit that dwells in the mountain! Conrad Jacob Temminck, Dutch ornithologist (1778-1858) who gave it its name in 1823 paid more attention to its habitat than its color. Rather small, 25 to 26 cm, with a marked dimorphism but less evident than other trogonid species, the male has an olive-green head tinted in pale yellow that contrasts with a large cobalt blue orbital circle, the iris is dark brown and the beak takes on the same color as the orbital circle. The throat and upper chest are yellow-olive, a thin white band separates the upper chest from the orange-yellow chest, and the belly reverts to light yellow. The neck is olive-green, the mantle and back feature a sheen chestnut brown, and the rump is pale brown. The black coverts have fairly wide white vermiculations, and the characteristic black remiges of trogonids are bordered in white at the edges. The central rectrices are a brownish-red with black markings at the ends, and the three outermost rectrices are white, slightly showing the second and third black rectrices. From the front, the tail looks white with black tips in the middle. The female has a grey-green head rather than olive-green, the beak and orbital circle remain cobalt blue, the throat and upper chest are grey with the same white band visible, the lower chest and belly are yellow without the orange reflections of the male. The back and mantle are a pale brown, and the dark brown coverts are vermiculated with light chamois horizontal stripes slightly wider than those of the male; the rectrices remain the same as those of its companion.Young ones have rufous back and mantle with pale tinge, yellow breast and belly are speckled with white down while coverings ranging from black to brown have only faint light vermiculations, it will be very hard to distinguish sexes. Four subspecies are recognized, ssp oreskios which gives its name to the species; ssp oreskios uniformis which has entirely olive-green head, also throat and breast, white band becomes pale yellow, female has crown and nape grey-green whereas throat and breast are greyish, visible band on the breast is white, back has less pronounced light chestnut colour than male; ssp oreskios nias presents few differences to uniformis, male has very dark olive-green head whereas female's is darker notably on the back, bill is larger; ssp dulitensis looks alike to uniformis yet breast of both sexes is strongly green dominant and size is smaller. Orange-breasted Trogon