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% in a week ~30%
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 Rincón de la Vieja National Park on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 162nd most-seen of the 341 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February and May–June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Elegant Trogon in Rincón de la Vieja National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April and July–December, the lowest months.
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.
5th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Elegant Trogon sightings, Rincón de la Vieja National Park ranks 5th 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%).
Same genus: Trogon
The closest relatives of the Elegant Trogon that you can see in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (genus Trogon, New World Trogons) are Black-headed Trogon (about 20%), Gartered Trogon (about 10%) and Slaty-tailed Trogon (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Elegant Trogon is recorded against all the birds logged in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (55 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.
