Bare-cheeked Trogon

The Bare-cheeked Trogon (or Trogon à joues jaunes in French) has been discovered by British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe (1847-1909) in 1901 in Cameroon. It is certainly one of the most mysterious birds of the moment, very few photos and observation recordings are available. It much looks like the Narina Trogon, but a bit smaller (28 to 31 cm) and sharing its territory. The male has a light yellow beak tinted greenish at its end, a dark brown iris and an unmistakable yellow mark above its eye. In succession of its beak, a yellow piece of skin shaped like two drops marks its cheek, a hallmark to distinguish the Bare-cheeked Trogon from the Narina Trogon and in particular its ssp constantia with only a small pale yellow mark below its eye. The head is emerald green with blue reflections on the throat and crown, starring out a green breast in contrast with the vivid red underparts; mantle, scapulars and back are also green. The small and middle coverts present gray and green horizontal waves, the big coverts, secondaries, and tertiaries are horizontally vermiculated in black and white, whereas primaries are black with white margins. Outer rectrices are white while central rectrices are blue-green. The female has a yellow beak with the upper jaw slightly grey and a very thin yellow eyebrows mark; however, she keeps the same yellow drops shaped marks below her eye. Her crown, nape, mantle and back are green. The throat, chest and upper belly are brownish-grey, whereas the belly keeps the red color noticed in the male; the vermiculations of the coverts and secondaries are more fuzzy, whereas primaries remain black with white margins.The legs are brown-pink but very difficult to see. The juveniles are paler, the chest is light brown, the belly is faintly green-striped and has not yet acquired the beautiful red colors of the adults, the wing coverts are coarsely brown and white mottled. The 'bare cheeks' are initially white and the bill is rather pale brown than yellow.