Trogons and Termites and Trees! Oh My!
As I shared last week it was tough getting good shots of birds in the tropical forests of Panama – only 10% of the shots I took were GreatBirdPics quality. One type of bird that improved my keeper rate were Trogons, a large colorful bird that would perch and pose for as long as we wanted. We encountered four types of Trogons in Panama: Slaty-tailed, Black-tailed, Gartered, and Collared. This post focuses on one encounter with a pair of Slaty-tailed Trogons. You can CLICK HERE to see a longer post with more pictures of the Trogons we saw in Panama.
Both times we saw a Slaty-tailed Trogon pair they were building a nest – inside a termite nest! Here’s a look at the termite nest; note the the round hole dug out of the bottom by the Trogons.
Both the male and the female were nearby. Below is a shot of the male and if you look closely you can see dust from the termite nest excavation on its bill.
The female Slaty-tailed Trogon sat quietly nearby.
Here’s the male working to enlarge the hole so they can build their nest inside. According to our guide this was an active termite nest but somehow the termites and Trogons form a symbiotic relationship, leaving each other alone.
You can CLICK HERE to see a longer post with more pictures of the Trogons we saw in Panama.
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