Coppery-tailed Trogon Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesCoppery-tailed Trogon
Male
A stocky, medium-sized bird with a long tail and an upright posture. Male has green upperparts, a black face and throat, a white breast band, and a rose-red belly.
© Bryan Calk / Macaulay LibraryArizona, August 07, 2020Male
Hunchbacked bird with a long, square-tipped tail. Males have a red belly, a white chest band, a dark green head, a red eyering, and a yellow bill. The undertail has fine black freckling and three white bands.
© Aaron Marshall / Macaulay LibraryArizona, March 12, 2015Adult male
A medium-sized bird with a short, stout bill and long, square-tipped tail. Adult male has a black face, dark green upper breast, white breast band, and red belly. Song is a series of 5–10 hoarse, two-syllable notes.
© Malcolm Mark Swan / Macaulay LibraryArizona, July 19, 2025Female
Females have a gray head and chest, a white teardrop mark by the eye, and a red lower belly. The undertail has fine black freckling and three white bands.
© William Higgins / Macaulay LibraryArizona, April 13, 2016Male
Hunchback posture. From behind, males have a green back and a square, coppery tail. Note yellow bill and red eyering.
© Shawn Cooper / Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 14, 2021Adult male
Nests in cavities, but is unable to excavate holes on its own, so relies on cavities created by woodpeckers.
© Graham Deese / Macaulay LibraryArizona, June 09, 2024Male
Found in woodlands with oaks and sycamores near streams. Note hunchbacked posture and brilliant colors.
© Paul Tavares / Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 25, 2016Juvenile
Juvenile is similar to female, but lacks reddish belly and has large white spots on the wings.
© Scott Olmstead / Macaulay LibraryArizona, September 12, 2020Female
Female has a coppery uppertail with a broad black tip.
© William Higgins / Macaulay LibraryArizona, December 13, 2019Male
Nests in cavities in live or dead trees.
© Linda Chittum / Macaulay LibraryArizona, August 04, 2013Similar SpeciesEared Quetzal
Adult male
Eared Quetzal is larger than Coppery-tailed Trogon, but with a smaller head. Eared Quetzal lacks the white breast band of Coppery-tailed Trogon and has green wing coverts (as opposed to gray in Coppery-tailed Trogon).
© Bryan Calk / Macaulay LibraryArizona, November 12, 2020Similar SpeciesEared Quetzal
Female
Female Eared Quetzal lacks the white teardrop found behind the eye of female Coppery-tailed Trogon. Both sexes of Eared Quetzal have a gray bill (as opposed to yellow in Coppery-tailed Trogon).
© Ryan Shaw / Macaulay LibraryArizona, November 03, 2020Search species and articles
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