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Trogons are birds of tropical America, and only one -- the striking and well-named elegant trogon -- is a regular breeder in the US. Every year 50-100 pairs migrate to mountain canyons in southeastern Arizona, where they nest in tree cavities. Elegant trogons are iconic symbols of the exceptional diversity of these 'sky islands.' Trogons are fruit and insect feeders, and although they are fast fliers, they frequently perch quietly on branches while intently scanning their surroundings. These were photographed in classic locations for elegant trogons: Madera Canyon and nearby Florida Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains near Tucson, and in Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiracahuas. One bird was feeding at a pyracantha bush (what looks like blue sky in one image is in fact the out-of-focus blue siding on a Madera Canyon house).
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