Learn more about the narina trogon in this week’s birding column
In buoyant flight, they are highly maneuverable and can easily twist and turn.
AN uncommon to fairly common resident confined to coastal regions and adjacent interior, from Knysna through the East Coast and Lowveld of South Africa.
They like evergreen and riverine forests, dense woodland, moist thornveld, coastal bush, valley bushveld and wattle plantations where they feed on insects, fruit and chameleons.
These trogons are usually solitary or in pairs. In breeding season groups of up to 12 males sing and display for up to two hours before individuals disperse into their territories.
They perch motionless for long periods, usually on high branches. The tail is sometimes slowly raised and lowered.
They are hard to see when greenback towards the observer. They forage by sallying out off perches catching prey on leaves and branches or in the air.
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The call is a series of 10 to 15 paired hooting notes with a slight growling quality hroo – hoo – hroo – hoo – hroo – hoo. The male also has a low chattering display call and a loud hiss when alarmed.
In breeding, they are monogamous, mating taking place from October to January. The nest is a natural hole a tree or dead stump with no material added. Four to six glossy white eggs are laid. The incubation period is 16 to 17 days and they are nestling for about 25 days.
The isZulu name is umJenenengu and in Afrikaans die bosloerie.
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