Harpactes


Harpactes is a genus of birds in the family Trogonidae found in forests in South and Southeast Asia, extending into southernmost China. They are strongly sexually dimorphic, with females generally being duller than males. Their back is brownish, the tail is partially white, and males of most species have red underparts. They feed on arthropods, small lizards and fruit.

Taxonomy

The genus Harpactes was introduced in 1833 by the English zoologist William Swainson. He did not specify a type species but in 1840 by the English zoologist George [Robert Gray|George Gray] designated the type as Trogon malabaricus Gould, 1834. This taxon is now considered as a subspecies of Harpactes fasciatus Pennant, 1769, the Malabar trogon. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ἁρπακτης/harpaktēs meaning "robber".
Two species, cinnamon-rumped and scarlet-rumped trogons, were previously classified in a separate genus, Duvaucelius, and a 2010 study found that these two were closely related and formed a separate clade from all of the other Harpactes trogons, but recommended that all three groups should be treated as congeneric. This same study also found that the genus Apalharpactes, containing two species sometimes included in Harpactes, is actually distantly related and thus a valid genus.

Species

The genus contains ten species.
MaleFemaleCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Malabar trogonHarpactes fasciatusIndia and Sri Lanka
Red-naped trogonHarpactes kasumbaMalay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo
Diard's trogonHarpactes diardiiMalay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo
Philippine trogonHarpactes ardensPhilippines
Whitehead's trogonHarpactes whiteheadimontane north Borneo
Cinnamon-rumped trogonHarpactes orrhophaeusMalay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo
Scarlet-rumped trogonHarpactes duvauceliiMalay Peninsula, Sumatra, Batu Islands, Riau Islands, Bangka Island and Belitung, Natuna Islands and Borneo
Orange-breasted trogonHarpactes oreskiossoutheast Asia and Greater Sundas
Red-headed trogonHarpactes erythrocephalusHimalayas and south China to Sumatra
Ward's trogonHarpactes wardinortheast India to north Vietnam