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 (best visible from below), 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 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 (except orange-breasted trogon, which forms a third group), 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. Male Female Common name Scientific name DistributionMalabar trogonHarpactes fasciatusIndia and Sri Lanka Red-naped trogonHarpactes kasumbaMalay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo Diard's trogonHarpactes diardiiMalay Peninsula, Sumatra and BorneoPhilippine trogonHarpactes ardensPhilippines (except West Visayas, Palawan group and Sulu Archipelago) Whitehead's trogonHarpactes whiteheadimontane north Borneo Cinnamon-rumped trogonHarpactes orrhophaeusMalay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo Scarlet-rumped trogonHarpactes duvauceliiMalay Peninsula, Sumatra, Batu Islands (west of central Sumatra), Riau Islands (east of central Sumatra), Bangka Island and Belitung (east of south Sumatra), Natuna Islands (northwest of Borneo) and BorneoOrange-breasted trogonHarpactes oreskiossoutheast Asia and Greater SundasRed-headed trogonHarpactes erythrocephalusHimalayas and south China to SumatraWard's trogonHarpactes wardinortheast India to north Vietnam
References
Further reading Allen, R. (2001). Genus Harpactes. pp. 106–111 in: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, & J. Sargatal. eds. (2001). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 6. Mousebirds to Hornbills. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.