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
In 3 days ~10%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Las Baulas Marine National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 2 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Elegant Trogon sighting in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 181st most-seen of the 274 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Elegant Trogon in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months. That is one of Palo Verde National Park's wettest months, with about 300 mm of rain against almost none in February.
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.
6th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Elegant Trogon sightings, Palo Verde National Park ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Santa Rosa National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%), Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, about 30%) and Ostional Wildlife Refuge (Costa Rica, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Elegant Trogon is recorded against all the birds logged in Palo Verde National Park (31 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.
