Orange-breasted Trogon, also known as Orange-breasted Trogon, has 5 subspecies.
Orange-breasted Trogons often move alone or in pairs; they are arboreal, either climbing on the top branches of small trees to eat wild fruits, or standing quietly on tree branches waiting for an opportunity to pounce on flying insects, and occasionally following flying insects. They have poor flying ability and can fly fast but not far.
The Orange-breasted Trogon is a winter migratory bird in China. It leaves its breeding grounds in late August and early September every year and migrates to its wintering grounds. It usually arrives in China in late September and early October, and migrates in large numbers in mid-to-late October, or as late as early November. Migration mainly takes place at night, and it stops during the day to forage and rest. It is often seen with bean geese and swan geese in their resting grounds, perhaps because of their similar food composition and the relatively consistent habitat requirements. During migration, it flies, rests, and forages in groups. During migration, it often flies in a single file, calling while flying, and its calls are very loud. After arriving at the wintering grounds, it moves in small groups or family groups. It is usually active and dispersed when the weather is sunny and warm; it gathers in small groups in the leeward area in rainy, snowy, and windy weather, and is not very active. The time of migration from China is mostly from early March to mid-to-late March, and at the latest from late April to early May. These are mostly sub-adults that do not participate in the current year's reproduction. The spring migration groups are mostly composed of pairs and family groups, and the groups are smaller than those in autumn.
The Orange-breasted Trogon can hunt both in the air and on the ground. Its food is mainly locusts, mantises, moths, butterflies, bees and other insects and their larvae. Sometimes it also eats small invertebrates such as snails and fruits, berries and seeds of plants.
The call of the Orange-breasted Trogon is a bit like a fragmented cat's meow. It is usually three intermittent "shiu" sounds, which are made leisurely and about 5 or 6 times a minute. When attacking insects or when frightened, it often makes a single noise like "krak". But it is very quiet at ordinary times. Not only does it not like to call when it is perched, but it is also very quiet when it comes and goes. The male bird's warbling is kek tau tau tau tau with five notes per beat. The hoarse kek kek sound is repeated.
The breeding season of the Orange-breasted Trogon is from March to May. It nests in natural tree holes or digs holes on the remaining tree trunks to build nests. Each nest lays 2-4 eggs, which are light brown in color and round in shape. The incubation period is 17-19 days, with the male and female taking turns to incubate the eggs, and the chicks are late-maturing.
The Orange-breasted Trogon used to be one of China's main hunting birds, with a large population. Since 1985, due to environmental degradation and overhunting, the population has dropped sharply. According to the Asian Midwinter Waterbird Survey organized by the International Waterfowl Research Bureau in 1990, the number of wintering populations in China was only 2,170. According to global reports, from 1955 to 1974, the wintering population in North America was 200,000, Alaska and Canada were 250,000 and 55,000 respectively, mainly the Pacific subspecies; Europe was about 300,000 (Philippona 1972), mainly the nominate subspecies; the Canadian subspecies was estimated to be 1,800, the Alaskan subspecies was estimated to be 1,500, and the Greenland subspecies was estimated to be 12,000-15,000.
Listed in the 2012 Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) ver 3.1 - Least Concern (LC).
Listed in the second level of the List of Key Protected Wildlife in China.
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