Slaty-tailed Trogon
Trogon massena

On my first trip to Panama, in August 2003, I spotted six different species of trogons, but the most abundant and well-viewed was, by far, the Slaty-tailed Trogon. The first two pictures below are from film captured on Pipeline Road; the video is actually fairly decent, but hand-held at at a modest distance, making the stills a bit blurry. The bird was engaging in the usual trogon behavior, tilting its head to and fro to peer at me.  


A nice close-up of a Slaty-tailed Trogon, peering at me inquisitively.

A good view of the beautiful wing pattern of the Slaty-tailed Trogon.

The bird below was filmed at the Canopy Tower, in September 2004- I'm getting closer, but this time a small branch obstructed my view. With patience, one day I'll really capture the perfect trogon video!  


Another close look at a Slaty-tailed Trogon.

Slaty-tailed Trogon always seems to be the only species of trogon seen regularly from the cozy confines of the Canopy Tower, and so it was in July of 2005, when I captured a bit of video of the handsome bird pictured below.  


A Slaty-tailed Trogon casts a curious eye on observers at the Canopy Tower.

Elsewhere on this site:
Birds of Panama, 2003.
Birds of Panama 2, 2004.
Birds of Panama, 2005.

Return to Bird Species Index

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