Red-headed Trogon

Red-headed Trogon

Harpactes erythrocephalus

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 ~30% · Possible
at Cuc Phuong National Park

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

110 Verified sightings at Cuc Phuong National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,960 In all 11 parks
February Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Red-headed Trogon

The red-headed trogon (Harpactes erythrocephalus) is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. H. erythrocephalus comes from the Ancient Greek terms ἐρυθρός eruthros meaning red and κεφαλή, kephalē meaning head. The red-headed trogon is on average 34 cm (13 in) in length. The male has a red head and breast, a unique feature in the Trogon group. The female resembles the Diard's trogon without a speckled undertail.

The head, neck and upper breast of an adult male is dull crimson. A narrow white band crosses the mid breast, underneath which the lower breast to abdomen is light red to pink. Pale red can be observed on the flanks whereas the mantle and back of the bird are rusty brown. The male perches on branches with the support of mauve-blue legs. Regarding wing colouration, the lesser and median wing coverts, secondary coverts, as well as outer webs of tertials and secondaries are vermiculated black and white. The primary feathers also appear black and white. As for the bird's long tail, the central feathers are dark brown with a black tip, the second and third pairs are black and the outer pairs are white with black bases. Finally, a black-tipped... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song1:07

China · 2025

© Peter Boesman · XC988467 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:16

Malaysia · 2025

© Lim Ying Hien · XC1004242 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Alarm call0:07

Malaysia · 2022

© David Boyle · XC737678 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
2 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~30%
3 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
4 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
~20%
5 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
6 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
7 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
8 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
9 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
10 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
11 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Closest Relatives at Cuc Phuong National Park

No species of the same family or order lives in Cuc Phuong National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other birds.

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red-headed Trogon in Cuc Phuong National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Red-headed Trogon sighting in Cuc Phuong National Park on a given day, based on 110 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 25th most-seen of the 159 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red-headed Trogon in Cuc Phuong National Park?

February

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Red-headed Trogon in Cuc Phuong National Park on a given day, against about 10% in November, the lowest month. That is one of Cuc Phuong National Park's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 390 mm in August. July has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Red-headed Trogon?

Between 2 and 5 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-headed Trogon sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Cuc Phuong National Park the best place to see a Red-headed Trogon?

Among the best

Of the 11 parks where we can rate Red-headed Trogon sightings, Cuc Phuong National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Namdapha National Park (India, about 30%).

Where does the Red-headed Trogon sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red-headed Trogon is recorded against all the birds logged in Cuc Phuong National Park (110 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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