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First nest description for a clutch of eggs from Venezuela. taxa ramonianus and caligatus Amazonian Trogon Trogon Hellebrekers11 gave mean and treated as species, separate from 4,16 ramonianus, from eastern extreme measurements of 17 violaceus . T. violaceus (sensu Ecuador, and a review of white eggs collected by the lato) comprises three species: Penard brothers in Surinam. Gartered Trogon T. caligatus, breeding data for Green- 10 backed Trogon T. viridis Haverschmidt stated that nests Guianan Trogon T. violaceus and Overall, the reproductive biology are placed in arboreal termitaria, Amazonian Trogon T. ramonianus, of Neotropical trogons is poorly apparently based on four nests, the latter from Amazonian studied3 and recent taxonomic and described white eggs. He Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia revisions5 have significantly also provided fresh egg mass and Brazil (south of the Amazon), redefined species limits within the and extreme measurements, but extending into southern Venezuela 17,21 genus, which is now considered to did not mention sample sizes in the upper Orinoco basin . comprise 14 species17. In general, for either. Nests on Trinidad The breeding biology of T. trogons are all cavity nesters, so are reported to be 3–7 m above ramonianus is unknown. Most far as is known in holes excavated ground, in both tree cavities and in previously published nesting data 7 7 by the birds themselves, in a termitaria . ffrench also provided ascribed to T. violaceus, including variety of substrates including mean measurements of four some of the numerous works 2 22,23 rotting tree trunks and nests of ‘whitish’ eggs. Cisneros-Heredia of Skutch refer to Gartered 6,19 social insects3,15. Here we provide described a termitarium nest from Trogon . Only a few nesting novel information on the nesting north-east Ecuador as being 40 m data published for T. violaceus biology of two species, based on above ground. pertain to T. violaceus sensu 1,20,25 observations in eastern Ecuador. To the above, we add another stricto . We found a nest of T. termitarium nest of T. viridis in r. ramonianus with two slightly Green-backed Trogon the environs of Kurintza, near developed eggs at Shiripuno Trogon viridis the Lliquino River, prov. Pastaza Research Center, prov. Pastaza Formerly known as White-tailed (01°28.9’S 77°32.9’W; 440 m). (01°06’S 76°43’W; 220 m) on 2 Trogon3, with two subspecies: T. On 9 October 2013 the nest January 2011. The nest was 3.5 v. viridis and T. v. chionurus, contained one unhatched egg and m above ground, excavated in an both of which were treated as one nestling, which had almost active termitarium affixed on one species by Ridgely & Greenfield18, certainly hatched within the past side to a vertical tree trunk. The a split since widely accepted12,18. 24 hours as it still weighed less downward-facing entrance was Nomenclatural confusion was than the unhatched egg. The roughly circular and 10.5 cm in generated by these two species, egg was subelliptical and glossy diameter. We could not determine both being treated as Trogon white, but fairly heavily stained the dimensions of the internal strigilatus3,4. Because the with brown (apparently from its nesting chamber, but it opened literature is somewhat convoluted, surroundings). It measured 31.2 up after only 5–6 cm of excavated we review published nesting × 24.8 mm and weighed 9.5 g, tunnel and had only a slight, accounts of T. viridis, based on similar to previous records1,7,11,13,14. unlined concavity that held the currently accepted distributions The nestling was pink-skinned and eggs. Both eggs were subelliptical and species limits. lacked natal down, as described and glossy white, but heavily Goeldi8 found an active nest of for Masked Trogon T. personatus9. stained with brown spotting T. viridis 5 m above ground in a It weighed 7.5 g and its tarsus presumably from the termite nest of ‘white-ants’, presumably measured 11.2 mm. nest. They measured 33.2 × 24.7 termites. Ihering13 described The termitarium was c.30–40 mm and 33.0 × 24.4 mm, mass the eggs as white and provided cm in diameter and attached 10.7 g and 10.6 g, respectively. measurements for eggs in the to a living Miconia napoana Irrespective of taxonomy, the Nehrkorn collection and another (Melastomataceae) tree at 3 m distinctness of ramonianus egg collected in Iguape, São Paulo, above ground. The nest entrance (including T. r. crissalis) has Brazil. Ihering14 subsequently was c.8 cm in diameter. Inner never been questioned, and our described a termitarium nest height of the nest cavity was c.21 description is a valuable addition with a clutch of three white eggs cm. As far as we could ascertain, to knowledge of Neotropical trogon spotted yellow, and provided the termitarium was not inhabited nesting biology. approximate measurements. by termites. The floor of the nest Snethlage24 reported a termitarium chamber was littered with seeds of Acknowledgements nest slightly more than 2 m unknown species of Myristicaceae For help in the field, HFG thanks up, and white eggs. Belcher & trees. Inka Harms and Julia Barth, Smooker1 described a clutch of and HC thanks Nicolás Tinoco, two eggs in Trinidad ‘laid on loose Amazonian Trogon David Velalcázar, Jorge Brito and fibre in a hole in a dead palm’, Trogon ramonianus Alvaro Pérez. John V. & the late and gave measurements for four The taxonomic history of T. Ruth Ann Moore, as well as Matt greenish-white eggs. In addition, ramonianus is controversial Kaplan have generously supported they provided measurements for and still debated12,17, with the HFG via grants to the Population

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Biology Foundation. Field work the hatchlings, eggs and 21. Schulenberg, T. S. (ed.) by HFG was further supported incubation of the Masked (2015) Neotropical Birds in part by a Pamela & Alexander Trogon Trogon personatus in Online. Ithaca, NY: Cornell F. Skutch Award, the Maryland eastern Ecuador. Cotinga 29: Lab of Ornithology. http:// Ornithological Society and Field 82–84. neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/ Guides Inc. We are particularly 10. Haverschmidt, F. (1968) Birds portal/species/overview?p_p_ grateful for the ongoing support of of Surinam. Edinburgh & spp=59636 (accessed 20 the PBNHS, Tim Metz, Jay Peltz London: Oliver & Boyd. March 2015) and the Humboldt Crew. HC was 11. Hellebrekers, W. P. J. (1942) 22. Skutch, A. F. (1942) Life funded by eni e&p Division and Revision of the Penard history of the Mexican Agip Oil Ecuador, and his field oölogical collection from Trogon. Auk 59: 341–363. work was conducted with the Surinam. Zool. Meded. 24: 23. Skutch, A. F. (1999) Trogons, participation of Fauna & Flora 240–275. Laughing Falcons and other International. 12. del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Neotropical birds. College Sargatal, J., Christie, D. A. Station, TX: A. & M. Press. References & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2015) 24. Snethlage, E. (1935) Beiträge 1. Belcher, C. & Smooker, G. D. Handbook of the birds of the zur Fortpflanzungsbiologie (1936) Birds of the colony of world Alive. Barcelona: Lynx brasilianischer Vögel. J. Orn. Trinidad and Tobago. Part Edicions (retrieved from 83: 532–562. IV. Ibis 13: 792–813. www.hbw.com/node/55701 on 25. Snow, D. W. & Snow, B. K. 2. Cisneros-Heredia, D. F. (2006) 27 March 2015). (1964) Breeding seasons and Notes on breeding, behaviour 13. Ihering, H. von (1900) annual cycles of Trinidad and distribution of some Catálogo crítico-comparativo land-birds. Zoologica 49: birds in Ecuador. Bull. Brit. dos ninhos e ovos das aves do 1–39. Orn. Club 126: 153–164. Brazil. Rev. Mus. Paulista 4: 3. Collar, N. J. (2001) Family 191–300. Harold F. Greeney Trogonidae (trogons). In: 14. Ihering, H. von (1914) Novas Yanayacu Biological Station del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & contribuçoes para ornitologia & Center for Creative Studies, Sargatal, J. (eds.) Handbook do Brazil. Rev. Mus. Paulista Cosanga, Napo, Ecuador; c/o 721 of the birds of the world, 6. 9: 411–448. Foch y Amazonas, Quito, Ecuador. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. 15. Johnsgard, P. A. (2000) E-mail: [email protected]. 4. Cory, C. B. (1919) Catalogue Trogons and quetzals of Héctor Cadena-Ortiz of birds of the Americas and the world. Washington DC: Escuela de Biología, Pontificia adjacent islands, pt. 2(2). Smithsonian Institution Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Press. Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Zool. Ser. 197. 16. Pinto, O. M. O. (1937) Quito, Ecuador. E-mail: fercho_ 5. DaCosta, J. M. & Klicka, J. Ornithologia amazonica. Rev. [email protected]. (2008) The great American Mus. Paulista 23: 499–604. interchange in birds: a 17. Remsen, J. V., Areta, J. I., Received 30 March 2015, final phylogenetic perspective with Cadena, C. D., Jaramillo, revision accepted 22 September the genus Trogon. Mol. Ecol. A., Nores, M., Pacheco, J. 2015; published online 25 17: 1328–1343. F., Robbins, M. B., Stiles, F. February 2016 6. Eisermann, K. & Brooks, G., Stotz, D. F. & Zimmer, D. M. (2006) Unusual and K. J. (2015) A classification noteworthy nesting records of the bird species of South for Guatemala. Cotinga 26: America. www.museum.lsu. 48–51. edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline. 7. ffrench, R. (1991) A guide to html (accessed 20 March the birds of Trinidad and 2015). Tobago. Second edn. Ithaca, 18. Ridgely, R. S. & Greenfield, NY: Cornell University P. J. (2001) The birds of Press. Ecuador. Ithaca, NY: Cornell 8. Goeldi, E. A. (1898) University Press. Ornithological results of an 19. Robinson, W. D. & Robinson, expedition up the Capim T. R. (2001) Observations River, state of Pará, with on predation events at bird critical remarks on the nests in central Panama. J. Cracidae of lower Amazonia. Field Orn. 72: 43–48. Ibis 8: 472–500. 20. Schönwetter, M. (1967) 9. Greeney, H. F., Sheldon, Handbuch der Oölogie. K. S. & Simbaña, J. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag. (2008) Observations on

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