The masked trogon (Trogon personatus) is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is fairly common in humid highland forests in South America, mainly the Andes and tepuis.

Taxonomy

There are eight recognized subspecies of masked trogon:

Description

The masked trogon is a mid-sized trogon, averaging 27 cm in length and 56 g in mass. Like all trogons, it displays sexual dimorphism. The upperparts, head, and upper chest of the male are variously glossy green, reddish-bronze, or golden-green (depending on the subspecies). The belly and lower breast are red; the latter separated from the greenish upper chest by a narrow white band. The male has a distinct eye-ring, which is red in most subspecies, but tending towards orange in the subspecies from the tepuis. The female is brown above, with a pinkish to red belly and breast; the white band separating brown and red on her underside is often either narrow or obscured. Females of all subspecies have a partial white eye-ring.

Behavior

Feeding

Like all trogons, the masked trogon feeds on both fruits and insects.

Breeding

The masked trogon excavates a cavity nest in the soft wood of a rotting vertical tree trunk.