Trogon cupreicauda, (CHAPMAN, 1914)

Dickens, Jeremy Kenneth, Bitton, Pierre-Paul, Bravo, Gustavo A. & Silveira, Luís Fábio, 2021, Species limits, patterns of secondary contact and a new species in the Trogon rufus complex (Aves: Trogonidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 193 (2), pp. 499-540 : 27-29

TROGON CUPREICAUDA ( CHAPMAN, 1914)

Proposed English name: Kerr’s black-throated trogon.

Trogonurus curucui cupreicauda Chapman, 1914, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 33 p. 606, Bagado, Chocó, Colombia. – Trogon rufus Snethlage, 1914, Part. Bol. Mus. Goeldi. 8, p. 208. – Trogonurus curucui cupreicauda Cory, 1919, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Zool. Ser., 13, p. 325. – Trogonurus rufus cupreicauda Stone, 1928 , Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 80, p. 158. – Trogon rufus cupreicauda Todd, 1943 , Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 56, p. 11. – Trogon rufus cupreicauda Peters 1945. Check-list of Birds of the World, Vol 5, p. 157.

Diagnosis: Yellow eye-ring diagnostic against T. chrysochloros , T. rufus and T. tenellus . Olive tarsi usually distinct against T. tenellus . Small size and poorly serrated bill compared to T.chrysochloros . Males: The coppery-green uppertail is diagnostic against T. tenellus , from which they differ further in undertail barring, which, particularly for northern specimens, has generally narrower black bars, broader white bars and a lower percentage area black, whilst the wingpanel barring, particularly of southern specimens, has broader black bars, greater percentage area black and lower density. The head, mantle, and rump plumage are generally less bright, and the uppertail and upperchest brighter than all other taxa, besides T. tenellus . They differ from T. r. rufus by their usually warmer uppertail hue and sometimes by possessing a subterminal band of greener coloration. If in doubt, the undertail barring density is lower with broader black and, especially, white bars, and the wing panel barring less dense with broader white bars, whilst southern specimens also have broader black bars and a greater percentage area black. Compared to T. r. sulphureus , the uppertail hue is rarely as coppery and the subterminal band of greener coloration often absent (especially in southern specimens), whilst the white breast band is sometimes present. Northern specimens also have undertails with a lower percentage area black, generally narrower black bars, broader white bars and wing panels with lower percentage area black, narrower black bars, generally broader white bars and lower density. They differ from T. r. amazonicus in their lower undertail and wing panel barring densities and broader bar widths, as well as by sometimes possessing a breast band or lacking a subterminal tailband of greener coloration. For southern individuals, the wing panel also has a higher percentage area black, broader black bars and lower density. Compared to T. chrysochloros , the barred patterning is very different with broader black and white bars, lower density and lower percentage area black on the undertail, and much lower density, percentage area black and broader white bars, along with sometimes broader black bars (particularly in southern specimens) on the wing panel. A subterminal band is also sometimes present. The black terminal tailbandisgenerallywiderthanothertaxa, particularly T. tenellus . Females: The extensive tan-brown wash on the undertail is diagnostic. Brown plumage coloration, particularly in the south, is generally also warmerbrown, less saturated and darker than most other taxa. In particular, the head is generally darker and redder brown and the uppertail less saturated against all other taxa, except some individuals of T. r. rufus . Wing panel barring density low compared to all, besides some T. r. sulphureus . Compared to T. tenellus , the undertail barring has narrower black bars, broader white bars and lower percentage area black, the wing panel generally has broader black bars, lower density and higher percentage area black, and the chest coloration is less saturated. Head and uppertail are only occasionally similarly coloured to T. tenellus in north. They differ from T. r. rufus by having undertail barring with broader white bars, lower percentage area black, and slightly lower density, wing coverts with lower density, higher percentage area black and generally broader light and black bars, and chest coloration that is duller, less saturated and generally less yellow-brown. Compared to T. r. sulphureus , the undertail barring generally has narrower black bars and higher density, and the chest is usually duller, less saturated and less yellow. Compared to T. r. amazonicus , the undertail barring is generally less dense with broader white bars, the wing coverts are generally less densely barred with broader black bars, whilst the chest is duller, less saturated and less yellow. In relation to T. chryschloros , the undertail is generally less densely barred with broader black bars and lower percentage area black, the wing panels are also less densely barred with generally broader black and sometimes light brown bars, whilst the chest colour is less-yellow, less saturated and duller.

Song: Compared to T. tenellus , the song has more notes per phrase, shorter note durations and generally lower note frequencies. It also has more notes per phrase, shorter note durations but a longer pause after introductory note, and generally higher note frequencies, especially for the introductory note, than in T. rufus subspecies. Compared to T. chrysochloros , the song has a slower pace, longer pause following the introductory note, generally longer note durations and generally lower note frequencies.

Distribution and habitat: Primary or advanced secondary growth humid forests in the Chocó-Magdalena ecoregion, from Bolivar State and the Magdalena Valley in Colombia, south to Pichincha, Ecuador. Up to an elevation of 1500 m.

Type material: Holotype: AMNH 123271 (adult male) collected by Mrs E. L. Kerr. from Bagado, Chocó, Colombia (5° 25’ 0.12’’ N 76° 24’ 0’’ W) on 25 September 1912.

Description: Small body size, similar to T. tenellus , but overlapping substantially with T. rufus . Bill poorly serrated. Males: Uppertail varying from plain green to greenish-copper. All plumage patches vary from cooler to warmer hues along a northwards gradient from NW Ecuador to the contact zone with T. tenellus in the NW Chocó and extending into the Magdalena Valley. Mantle less-bright coppery-green. Rump generally more blue-green and less bright. Chest bright blue-green to golden-green. The white breast band is usually present but mostly inconspicuous. Subterminal tailband of greener coloration present or absent. Terminal tailband widest of all taxa. Undertail barring varies from relatively broad to relatively narrow black bar widths and moderate to low percentage areas black on a northwards gradient (Supporting Information, Fig. S3 ). Some individuals from the northern part of this species range possess a combination of exceptionally broad white bars and narrow black bars on the undertail that is unique compared to all other taxa. In contrast, the wing panel barring varies from having narrow to broad black bars and low to high percentage area black along this same gradient (Supporting Information, Fig. S4 ), whilst the barring density is low and white bars relatively broad. Females: Head colour poorly saturated, varying from darker, redder Dark Brown to Very Dark Brown to yellower, lighter Dark Brown to Dark Yellowish Brown, sometimes even Dark Olive Brown, along a northerly gradient. Mantle more to less yellow and poorly saturated Dark Olive Brown. Chest usually duller and darker Olive Brown to Dark Olive Brown, sometimes with Dark Yellowish Brown hues in the north. Belly yellow. The uppertail is poorly saturated and sometimes even darker, more reddish Dark Reddish Brown, occasionally as saturated as in T.tenellus in the north. Undertail always with extensive brown wash. Undertail barring with generally narrow black bars, broad white bars, moderate density and low percentage area black. Wing panel with moderate to broad black bars, narrow to broad light brown bars, low density and high percentage area black. Bareparts: Eye-rings yellow, sometimes greenishyellow in males. Tarsi mostly olive, or grey in about a quarter of females and a minority of males, and rarely blue-grey.

Song: A drawn-out song with many notes per phrase, slow pace, short introductory note and loudsong note durations, long pause following the introductory note, moderately high peak and low introductory note frequencies, moderate introductory note high frequency, moderate loudsong note frequencies, moderate introductory note bandwidth and narrow loudsong note bandwidth.

Figures

Figure 3. A, interpolation by distance of male uppertail hue across the distribution of the Trogon rufus complex, varying from blue to reddish-copper, as indicated by shifts in the false colour. Contour lines, or isophenes, depict equal (10 nm) changes in interpolated hue values. White stars indicate the position of specimens in the distribution of amazonicus but with hues within the range of rufus. The black star indicates the truly green-tailed specimen from the ‘Rio Arapiuns’ (MZUSP 32025). White dots = specimens; grey areas => 1000 m a.s.l. elevation. B, eye-ring colours in the Trogon rufus complex. Circles = males, squares = females, large markers = museum specimens, small markers = photographic records.

Figure 4. Linear discriminant factors one versus two of songs between (A) all populations in the Trogon rufus complex (different colours represent metapopulations and different marker shapes Amazonian populations) and (B) trans-Andean populations. Ellipses indicate 95% confidence intervals.C–I, show typical songs of:C, Trogon tenellus (ML57352, Costa Rica); D, T.cupreicauda (XC7020, W Ecuador); E, T. chrysochloros (XC85456, São Paulo, Brazil); F, Alagoas population (ML181311, Alagoas, Brazil); G, T.r. rufus (XC 119312, Amazonas, Brazil); H, T. r.sulphureus (ML30944, Peru); I, T. r. amazonicus (XC20747, Pará, Brazil).