Narina TrogonApaloderma narina BosloerieTrogon Narina Stephens, 1815, in Shaw's Gen. Zool., 9(1):14; 'country of the Auteniquoi to the river Gamtoo', ie George, W Cape(ex Levaillant). narina (Khoikhoi) = flower, original name given by Levaillant (1807). Uncertain whether Levaillant's choice was because of its colourful plumage,or because the bird reminded him of a beautiful young Khoikhoi woman by the same name. That Stephens capitalised Narina suggests the latter. 1. A. n. narina; 2. A. n. rufiventre; 3. A. n. littorale. |
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Male delivering prey to nest Dlinza Forest, Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, Dec 2005 Photo Hugh Chittenden (D) |
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BREEDING: Probably monogamous, with strong pair bond; solitary nester18; territorial15,18. Possibly rarely polygamous4 (based on 2 nests in close proximity10). Up to 3 females may accompany 1 male31. In 1 observation, 2 females perched near calling male, each with bill gaping and pointed up, wings drooped, and red feathers on side of breast fluffed out towards calling male in apparent solicitation4. Territory of 1-2 ha actively defended by male against intruding turacos, cuckoos, wood-hoopoes and squirrels15,18. Groups of 3-7 flying male call and chase one another in aerial display through forest with leap-frog displacement of leader. Starts early in day, lasts ca 2 hr, and may continue daily for up to 14 d, each male returning afterwards to own territory4,15. Display may function as 'floating' lek, to which females are attracted4,15, although females not present during display18. Courtship display follows location of suitable nest cavity by male. Male pursues female with slow, gentle, undulating butterfly flight, raising wings almost vertically with each beat, exposing white undersides4,15. When perched, male calls repeatedly, fluffs out breast and belly feathers, and flicks tail up and down, or fans it wide open to display white outer rectrices18. Courtship may continue for several days18. Pair copulates frequently until clutch is laid4. In 1 observation, male flew 10 m with slow, fluttering flight, showing erect red breast feathers to female perched on bare, sunny branch; landed directly on her back, and copulated4. Nest site inspected frequently by pair before final acceptance by female18. Competes for nest sites with Red-billed Oxpecker, Crested Barbet20, Green Wood- Hoopoe, Crowned Hornbill, Cape Glossy Starling, Smith's Tree Squirrel Paraxerus cepapi15,16, and probably Black-bellied Starling38. Nest: Natural cavity in dead tree or stump, infrequently in living tree; unlined4,10,15,26. 2-16 m15, usually 3-5 m above ground46; 1 in strelitzia (Strelitzia sp) stump < 1 m above ground11. Notoriously difficult to find4,15. In E Cape, in Cape-teak Strychnos decussata (3), Forest Bushwillow Combretum kraussi (1), White Milkwood Sideroxylon inerme (1), Forest Bush-milkwood Vitellariopsis marginata (1), Sneezewood Ptaeroxylon obliquum (1)19, dead wild fig (Ficus sp) stump (1)15, and dead trunk (1)47. 4 of 6 nests chimney-shaped, slanting upwards at 20-90°15. May be used for several years4,20, in 1 instance, > 13 yr47. Entrance (n = 6 nests) 75-120 mm (104±30 mm) diam; cavity 200-600 mm deep. Laying dates: Botswana Dec (1)43; Zimbabwe Dec (3), Jan (2)27; Mozambique Oct, Nov8; Mpumalanga Dec (1)48; KwaZulu-Natal Oct (2), Nov (5), Dec (1), Jan (1)12; E Cape Nov (1)47, Dec (3)15,36, Jan (3), Feb (1)15. Eggs: 2-4 (2.6, n = 18)3,4,12,17,28,37,40. Rounded. Glossy white15. Size (n = 20) 25.9-31.0 x 21.2-23.8 mm (28.3 x 23.0 mm)4,17,28,37,40. Incubation: Starts with first-laid egg18. Period 16-17 d (S Africa) and 18, 21 d (Kenya)18; by both sexes. Male incubates 10h00-17h00, female for rest of time, sitting very tight5. Development & care of young: Newly hatched young naked, with dark skin and orange gape. At ca 7 d, develops black down10. Growth rapid18, but no further data. In early stages after hatching, both ads brood nestlings equally, in bouts av 18 min (2.5-66 min), for up to 44 % of daytime47. Nestling period 25 d, 28 d18. Young fed by both ads; soon after hatching, male feeds chicks twice as often as female, delivering food ca 3 x/hr10,47. Female remained with young in 8 of 10 instances after feeding, male 7 of 2147. Ads approach nest rapidly, occasionally perching 1-2 m from nest before entering with food15,47. In general, large food items fed to nestlings, incl caterpillars (carried crosswise in bill)10,15,47, butterflies and moths4,15, cicadas, bladder grasshoppers, stick insects up to 150 mm long47, and mantids15. Ads mostly silent around nest4,10,15,47. Ads continue to feed young until flight feathers fully grown at ca 60 d; thereafter juvs stay near parents for several months, fed occasionally by either ad18. Nestlings hiss4 and gape with lateral movements of tongue, violently biting any object near the bill22. Breeding success: In E Cape, 2 of 6 nests fledged young; 2 nests failed due to flooding15. In Kenya, 4 young reared to independence from 8 nests4,5,10. Fledged young prey of African Goshawk, Little Sparrowhawk, Ovambo Sparrowhawk and possibly African Wood-Owl10,18. Eggs taken by Huet's Tree Squirrel Paraxerus ochraceus18. In Kenya, 1 nest destroyed by driver ants (Dorylus sp)50. In E Cape, nestlings killed by snake47. |
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Male hissing in defence Dlinza Forest, Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, Dec 2005 Photo Hugh Chittenden (D) |
Adult male at nest hole Ithala GR, KwaZulu-Natal, Dec 2008 Photo Johann Grobbelaar (D) |
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Chicks 2 days old Dlinza Forest, Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal Photo Hugh Chittenden (D) |
Chicks 7 days old Dlinza Forest, Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal Photo Hugh Chittenden (D) |
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Chick 11 days old Dlinza Forest, Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal Photo Hugh Chittenden (D) |
Female at nest hole with invertebrate prey Photo Johann Grobbelaar |
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