Descriptions

This bird skin might be a type specimen; further research is required. It was collected by General Smee in January 1939.

It is described as new species in Lowe, W.P. 1939 The bird collections of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter. Ibis [14] 3: 65-75. Lowe states it is ‘Nearest to Trogon caligatus [syn. T. violaceous caligatus], but at once distinguished from that bird by a blue metallic head, green tail, and golden metallic upper parts.’

A paper by M.Ralph Browning, Christian Erard & Herber T Schifter (The nomenclatural status of Trogon leverianus Shaw, 1772, and Trogon sallaei Bonaparte, 1856 in the Bull. B.O.C. 1991 111(1)) may throw some light whether this is a valid species.

The name rossi is now generally regarded as a junior synonym of Trogon caligatus caligatus.

This object is not on display.