Red-headed Trogon

The Red-headed Trogon has the widest distribution of the Harpactes gene, and its distribution is intimately linked to the 10 subspecies! Harpactes erythrocephalus, which gives its name to the species, is present along the Himalayan Chain in North India, in the state of Uttarakhand, in Nepal, in Bhutan, to the east of Myanmar. Ssp helenae, slightly larger in size, has shorter coverts and very fine vermiculations, the belly is very red and is confined to the extreme north of Myanmar, in western China in Yunnan and south-east Tibet. Ssp yamakanensis, larger, the male has a very dark brown-carmine head and a large cinnamon brown bar above the belly that is pinker than red, the mantle and back are very dark brown and the black markings of the outer rectrices are larger, the female is very dark brown on the head and upper chest, the lower part is more cinnamon red and the belly is pink, the outer white rectrices have wider black marks, found in south-east China in the provinces of Fujian, northeast of Guangdong, south Sichuan and Guizhou. Ssp rosa, smaller, the male is similar to ssp yamakanensis, the female has a less pink ventral part and an orange-red tint on the chest, no visible white band, the mantle and back are pale olive brown, found in the north of the Autonomous Republic of Guangxi in south-east China. Ssp intermedius, the male has a pale red head and neck, the chest is red-vermillion, the ventral part is mat red without pink tones, the back and mantle are very dark brown, the vermiculations of the coverts are very fine, the female has a very dark brown head, back and mantle, the ventral part is orange red almost dark yellow, very fine light yellow vermiculations on dark brown coverts, visible in China in the south of Yunnan province, north of Vietnam and north of Laos.Ssp hainanus: the male has a red-purple head, nape and upper chest, the lower chest is paler red, mantle is very dark brown, rump and uppertail-coverts are hazel-brown, the outer rectrices have larger black markings, giving the appearance of a black tail with thinner white stripes, size is smaller than ssp erythrocephalus, the female is similar to the female erythrocephalus, the brown parts are very dark on the head, nape and chest, only on Hainan Island at the very south of China. Ssp annamensis: the male has a very yellowy colouring on the mantle and back, the feather vermiculations are coarser, the female is also more brown-yellow on the head and mantle, also conspicuous coarse vermiculations on the throat, central and south Vietnam, south Laos, extreme north of Thailand and Cambodia (except west where ssp klossi takes over). Ssp klossi: the male has a brilliant red colouring on the head and chest, the belly is deep red and without any rosy tints, mantle and back are pale brown and central rectrices too, the female is very red on the belly without rosy tints, the head is pale brown-yellow, mantle and back are pale brown, in Thailand on Koh Chang island in the Gulf of Thailand, and very southeast Thailand, Trat province and extreme west Cambodia. Ssp chaseni: the male is similar to ssp klossi but the back and central rectrices are darker brown, the black coverts are very finely vermiculated, the female has a very dark brown head, mantle and back, like the male the vermiculations are finer, only in Malaysia. Ssp flagrans: the male is similar to the nominate erythrocephalus but smaller, no detailed observations of the female, only on Sumatra in Indonesia.