Philippine Trogon

The Philippine Trogon is obviously a resident of the archipelago of the same name, its scientific name is more evocative, Harpactes ardens or the Ardent Bandit, referring to the bright red color of the male's belly. The dimorphism is marked, the male has the base of the beak green with the tip tinted with a yellow point of the most beautiful effect, it is the only trogon to have this peculiarity. The forehead is black, the cap and the nape are dark brown, depending on the light, violet reflections appear on the throat and forehead, the bird has a large cobalt blue orbital circle surrounding the dark brown iris and in the extension of the beak a blue skin protuberance highlighting the eye. The chest is a beautiful pastel pink, between the chest and the bright red belly, a very light gray band appears, but is not always visible depending on individuals. The mantle, the back and the shoulder blades are brown with orange nuances, the black covers bear the distinctive mark of the majority of trogons: horizontal white vermiculations while the black remiges are clearly highlighted in white at the emarginations. The central rectrices are chestnut brown and barred with black at their extremity, the three pairs of external rectrices are white and have black marks in their center. The females have the head dark olive-brown, Madam wears the same large cobalt blue orbital circle extended by a blue skin protuberance, the beak remains yellow with a light green base, the mantle and the back are brown; the chest and the belly are golden yellow, the dark brown covers have beautiful chamois vermiculations, the white external rectrices have diffuse gray marks in their center. The tarsi are olive green. Five subspecies are recognized: ssp ardens ardens which gives its name to the species; ssp ardens linae with a more marked black throat and a larger beak, the female is similar to the ardens female; ssp ardens minor is smaller and has a pink chest tending towards red, the female is smaller; ssp ardens luzionensis has a very dark brown back, the cap is rather black and the beak is smaller, the female is darker on the back and the head is black; ssp ardens herberti has a reddish brown head and a pale red belly, the female is similar to the luzionensis female but the head is dark brown instead of black.