Atlantic Black-throated Trogon

Distinguished as a medium-sized representative of its family, measuring between 23 and 26 centimeters in length and displaying a highly pronounced sexual dimorphism. The adult male features a brilliant, iridescent golden-green or bronze-green back, which contrasts vividly with its bright yellow belly. Its face and throat are deep black, bordered by a white pectoral collar that is often partially obscured by the breast feathers. Its outer tail feathers exhibit a fine, dense pattern of black and white barring, ending in broad white tips. Conversely, the female replaces the green tones with a warm olive-brown plumage on her head, back, and chest, while retaining a slightly paler yellow belly and possessing brown and black barring on her tail. In both sexes, the bill is robust, wide at the base, and slightly serrated, appearing bluish-gray or pale yellow depending on the individual, specialized for plucking fruits and seizing prey.

Geographical distribution: Endemic to the Paranaense Forest ecoregion and the broader Atlantic Forest biome, this species is restricted to specific sectors of southeastern Brazil (ranging from the state of Espírito Santo south to Rio Grande do Sul), eastern Paraguay, and the northeastern tip of Argentina, primarily within the Misiones province. It occurs from sea level up to approximately 1200 meters in elevation, dwelling within continuous patches of native forest remnants along this highly threatened biological corridor.

Habitat: Prefers the understory and mid-canopy levels of humid subtropical and tropical forests, as well as mature lowland and lower montane woodlands. It shows a strong ecological reliance on well-preserved primary forests, though it occasionally occupies mature secondary forests that offer a dense, closed canopy with ample shade. It avoids open areas exposed to direct sunlight, requiring environments characterized by high relative humidity, abundant vines, epiphytes, and decaying tree trunks to survive and complete its life cycle.

Feeding: Possesses an omnivorous diet with a strong emphasis on frugivory and insectivory. It feeds on a wide variety of small, fleshy fruits from botanical families such as Lauraceae, Melastomataceae, and Myrtaceae. To secure its food, it utilizes a specialized sally-hover technique, launching itself from a perch to pluck fruits directly from twigs. It also captures large invertebrates, including large caterpillars, beetles, orthopterans, and cicadas, which it typically beats against branches to soften before swallowing them whole.

Behavior: This is a solitary and remarkably discreet bird, often spending hours perched upright and nearly motionless on shaded branches within the lower canopy, making it difficult to spot despite its colorful plumage. Its presence is most frequently detected through its vocalization, which consists of a slow, measured series of low-pitched, descending, soft whistles. It is non-migratory and highly sedentary, maintaining and defending its home range against conspecifics through territorial vocal displays and subtle physical postures.

Nesting: The breeding season takes place between September and January. This species is a cavity nester, actively excavating its nest chambers in highly decayed, soft tree stumps or carving out cavities inside active arboreal termite mounds. The female lays a clutch of 2 to 3 pure white eggs directly onto the wood dust or termite debris lining the bottom of the cavity. Both parents share the incubation duties, which last about 18 days, as well as the brooding and feeding of the altricial chicks, which fledge after approximately 20 to 25 days of intensive care.

Conservation status: Currently classified as Least Concern (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, its local populations are experiencing a steady decline due to the severe loss, fragmentation, and degradation of the Atlantic Forest caused by agricultural expansion, logging, and urban development. The preservation of large, continuous forest reserves and ecological corridors is critical to securing the long-term survival of this species across its native range.