About Priotelus roseigaster (Vieillot, 1817)
Trogons, the group this species belongs to, are brightly colored birds with long, strongly graduated tails, small feet, and short, thick bills. This species, the Hispaniolan trogon (Priotelus roseigaster), has metallic green upperparts, a gray throat and breast, and a red belly. It can be distinguished from the closely related Cuban trogon by its more typical tail. The underside of its tail is dark, and each rectrix has a broad white tip. Males and females look similar to one another, but female wing coverts and secondaries lack the narrow white bars found on males. Average measurements for males are 135.2 mm for the wing, 154 mm for the tail, 17.3 mm for the culmen from the base, and 16.8 mm for the tarsus. Average measurements for females are 136.6 mm for the wing, 154 mm for the tail, 16.5 mm for the culmen from the base, and 16.4 mm for the tarsus. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded forest. It can also inhabit rainforest, dry forest, pine forest, and broadleaved deciduous forest. It is threatened by habitat loss, and is mostly confined to a few remaining protected areas. Several early records note the species in mangrove swamps west of Miragoane, but it is unknown whether these were visiting birds or a resident population. It requires large, old, decayed trees with holes for nesting. It primarily occurs at elevations between 500 and 3000 m, but appears to undergo some altitudinal migration, with individuals observed at lower elevations in winter. Due to extensive habitat loss, in Haiti it is restricted to the Massif de la Hotte and Chaîne de la Selle. It is still quite common in the Dominican Republic, especially in the relatively undisturbed Sierra de Baoruco, although it has experienced a moderately rapid population reduction caused by deforestation. Its breeding season is thought to run from March to July. It nests in tree cavities, including cavities created by the Hispaniolan woodpecker (Melanerpes striatus). The only known clutches for this species contain two eggs; the eggs are pale green and unmarked. Recorded egg measurements range from 27.9 by 23.5 mm to 31.4 by 23.9 mm. The length of the incubation period and nestling period are not known. Generation length is estimated at 7.3 years.
