Elegant Trogon

Elegant Trogon

Trogon elegans

Silhouette: Keith Murdock (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at San Salvador

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

30 Verified sightings at San Salvador
1,185 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Elegant Trogon

The elegant trogon (Trogon elegans), formerly considered as conspecific with the coppery-tailed trogon, is a species of bird in the trogon family Trogonidae that is native to Central America. The elegant trogon was formally described in 1834 by the English ornithologist John Gould based on specimens collected in Guatemala. He coined the current binomial name Trogon elegans.

Two subspecies are recognised: Trogon elegans elegans Gould, J, 1834 – southeastern Guatemala Trogon elegans lubricus Peters, JL, 1945 – Honduras, Nicaragua, and northwestern Costa Rica Phylogenetic research suggests a monophyly with T. rufus, T. mexicanus, T. personatus, T. aurantiiventris, and T. collaris. The distribution of their ancestors was restricted to the new world. However, the presence of trogons in the old world has led to debate on their true origin, which remains unknown to this day.

This species is a medium-sized bird, measuring 28–30 centimetres (11–12 in) long and weighing 60–78 grams (2.1–2.8 oz) (average 68 grams (2.4 oz)). Like other trogons, elegant trogons display sexual dimorphism, where males and females have different plumages.

Males are often brightly colored... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song1:03

Mexico · 2026

© Richard E. Webster · XC1183832 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:39

Costa Rica · 2024

© Johan Chaves · XC916790 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:32

Mexico · 2013

© Micah Riegner · XC158395 · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~50%
2 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
3 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
4 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
5 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
6 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San Salvador 🇸🇻 El Salvador
<5%
2 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Elegant Trogon in San Salvador?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Elegant Trogon sighting in San Salvador on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 99th most-seen of the 153 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Elegant Trogon in San Salvador?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Elegant Trogon in San Salvador on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see an Elegant Trogon?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Elegant Trogon sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is San Salvador the best place to see an Elegant Trogon?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Elegant Trogon sightings, San Salvador has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Mexico City (México, under 5%).

Where does the Elegant Trogon sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Elegant Trogon is recorded against all the birds logged in San Salvador (30 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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