Tufani Trogon

 

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Before I start let me apologize for the delay in posting blogs, due to the current situation it is becoming difficult to post a blog every week, and hence it is taking a bit long. But it is a constant endeavor to provide uniqueness regularly. Therefore, with the promise of uniqueness, I am presenting today’s topic "Tufani Trogon" from the first trip of 2021, so let me introduce the tiger of Dandeli

Mind-blowing memory

Dandeli what a trip it was! Birding heaven full of birds and full of memories, one of the most memorable events came from this Tufani bird and hence I am quoting this as Mind-Blowing memory. The main attraction of Dandeli is Trogon similar to what Tiger is to any tiger reserve hence the same was on top of our mind. On the way to OMH (Old Magazine House), we were discussing and planning to find this lovely bird to make this trip successful. We all were aware of the fact that it is not easy to find birds because it is not possible to track them. You can track Tiger or leopard with footmarks/other animal calls etc but with birds, it is not that easy but still, we always keep hope and believe in mother nature and our luck as well.

With a combination of nature's blessing and hope, we reached Dandeli, upon reaching, the Trogon welcomed us without even giving us the opportunity to get out of the car. The situation was such that we do not know how to react because we had to finish check-in formalities. The staff of OMH was kind enough to help us quickly so as we can meet this lovely creature.

The quick help turned into to fantastic sighting of Trogon, it was sitting on an open perch, and colors were shining brightly due to morning time. This was just a beginning because a memorable event was yet to happen. On 2nd-day Trogon again came in front of us but this time it came with a lizard, this was the best moment of the trip, never expected that such sighting will come in such a beautiful way. We were like whether to believe our luck or not, it was a true gift of nature to bird-lover and nothing else. I know you are keen to know more about this lovely creature, so why wait for more, let’s go to the next section to know some fantastic details. 

Fantastic facts

A name to chew on: The word “Trogon” comes from the Greek term for “gnawing” or “nibbling.” This might have been inspired by the gnawing technique the birds use to excavate their nest cavities.

Pluck fruits with wings: Trogons are mostly frugivorous, which means they eat fruits. But they can’t pluck fruits while perched, so instead, they hover in front of the fruit and pluck it in flight!

Unique toes: Trogons are the only type of animal that has heterodactyl toes. This means that their first and second toes point backward, while their other toes point forward!

Their legs and feet are weak and short, and trogons are essentially unable to walk beyond a very occasional shuffle along a branch. The ratio of leg muscle to body weight in trogons is only 3%, the lowest known ratio of any bird. They are even incapable of turning around on a branch without using their wings. 

They feed on insects and fruits, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Trogons feed principally on insects, other arthropods, and fruit; to a lesser extent, some small vertebrates such as lizards are taken. Among the insect prey taken one of the more important types is caterpillars; along with cuckoos, trogons are one of the few bird groups to regularly prey upon them. 

Trogons are generally not migratory, although some species undertake partial local movements; they nest in holes dug into trees or termite nests, laying 2–4 white or pastel-colored eggs.

The wings are short but strong, with the wing muscle ratio being around 22% of the body weight. In spite of the strength of their flight, trogons do not fly often or for great distances, generally flying no more than a few hundred meters at a time.

The position of the trogons within the class Aves has been a long-standing mystery. A variety of relations have been suggested, including the parrots, cuckoos, toucans, jacamars and puff birds, rollers, owls, and nightjars. More recent morphological and molecular evidence has suggested a relationship with the Coliiformes.

The unique arrangement of the toes on the foot has led many to consider the trogons to have no close relatives, and to place them in their own order, possibly with the similarly typical mousebirds as their closest relatives.

I hope you enjoyed every bit of it, please shower your blessing and keep motivating me to deliver unique stuff, and in the end, do not forget to share feedback on btwildart@gmail.com

Learning of the day

State Bird of Madhya Pradesh

Indian paradise flycatcher (Doodh Raj) – 

They make short aerial sallies after insects, usually returning to the same perch. Occasionally descends to the ground to pull apart insects. Chiefly found in wooded habitats.  

Click to know more

https://btwildart.blogspot.com/2018/06/fantastic-flycatcher.html

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