Many kinds of trogons live in tropical forests, but only one species regularly occurs north of Mexico. Easily recognized by their metallic-green and rose-red colors, as well as their unusual stout-bodied, square-tailed profile, Elegant Trogons are a prized sighting for birders who visit southeastern Arizona. Early on spring mornings, their repetitive and resonating calls carry through the sycamore and oak forests that line canyon streams. Elegant Trogons are reliant upon woodpeckers to excavate holes in trees where they place their nests. Elegant Trogons are what’s called a “secondary cavity nester”—they put their nests in holes in trees, as woodpeckers do. But they don’t have the ability to make these holes themselves, so they are largely dependent on woodpeckers to excavate nest holes for them. Once the woodpecker has moved on, trogons (among many other secondary cavity nesting species) can move in. Elegant Trogons often use holes that were excavated by Northern Flickers or Acorn Woodpeckers. Trogon is a Greek word meaning "gnawer," which refers to its insectivore diet and hooked bill. Trogons tend to nest in riparian vegetation, sometimes close to human activity. Trogon nests are regularly found near service trails, campgrounds, and picnic grounds, so if you go camping in the mountains of Arizona you might find you have a trogon nesting in your campsite. Elegant Trogons were first found in the Huachuca Mountains of Arizona in 1885. Half a century later, in 1939, a nest was discovered in Madera Canyon of the Santa Rita Mountains, and they have since been found in the Atascosas and Chiricahuas Mountains. Although there seems to be suitable habitat in several other mountain ranges, it’s likely that this species has not yet had the chance to disperse there.
