Elegant Trogons are one of the most sought-after birds by bird watchers in the U.S., They breed regularly in only four mountain ranges in Arizona: the Atascosas, Chiricahuas, Huachucas, and Santa Ritas. They also are rarely reported in the southwestern mountains of New Mexico. Notwithstanding their restricted range, you should be able to find trogons if you look in the correct habitat (canyon forests of oak and sycamore) at the right time of year. Some trogons are present all year, but most arrive in April and depart in November. Listen for Elegant Trogons’ repetitive, resonant calls in the early morning of April to May and again in late June to July. They are most easily seen when they erupt into flight after a prey item. At other times they tend to sit motionless, although typically in the upper understory or lower canopy, where they can still be fairly easy to spot if you look carefully.
