469 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS ORNITOLOGIA NEOTROPICAL 25: 469–472, 2014 © The Neotropical Ornithological Society OBSERVATION OF A CALLING ASSEMBLAGE IN THE COLLARED TROGON (TROGON COLLARIS) Cristina Sainz-Borgo Departamento de Biología de Organismos, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela. E-mail: cristinasainzb@usb.ve Observación de coro de llamados en el Trogón acollarado (Trogon collaris). Key words: Collared Trogon, Trogon collaris, behavior, communal calling, Trogonidae, Venezuela. INTRODUCTION Birds participate in diverse singing aggrega- tions, including dawn and dusk choruses (Kacelnik & Krebs 1982, Otter et al. 1997, Penteriani & Delgado 2009), leks (Foster 1983, Hoglund 2003), communal nuptial dis- plays (Moller 1990, Miller & Baker 2009), and communal roosting (Eiserer 1984, Wright et al. 2003). These aggregations may serve as “information centres,” evolved primarily for the efficient exploitation of information (Ward & Zahavi 1973), or mate selection (Kroodma & Byers 1991), or both. Commu- nal calling could increase foraging efficiency (Clark & Mangel 1986, Petit & Bildstein 1987) or be important concerning antipredator response, as have been reported for several bird species (Griesser 2008). A particular type of singing aggregation in trogons, the calling assemblage, is performed by a group of 3–10, and occasionally up to 20 males (Collar 2001), which call repeatedly while chasing each other from perch to perch (Riehl 2008). This behavior, whose function is unknown, has been reported, e.g., for several African species: Narina Trogon (Apaloderma narina), Bare-cheeked Trogon (A. aequato- riale), and Scarlet Rumped Trogon (Harpactes duvaucelii). In the Americas, it was found in Hispaniolan Trogon (Priotelus roseigaster), Slaty- tailed Trogon (T. massena), Violaceous Trogon (T. violaceus), Choco Trogon (Trogon comptus), Eared Quetzal (Euptilotis neoxenus), Amazo- nian White-tailed Trogon (T. viridis), Citreo- line Trogon (T. citreolus), Black-headed Tro- gon (T. melanocephalus), Blue-tailed Trogon (T. comptus), Black-tailed Trogon (T. melanurus), and Resplended Quetzal (Pharomacrus mocinno) (Brosset 1983, Wetmore & Swales 1931, Skutch 1972, Haffer 1975, Zimmerman 1978, Skutch 1983, Howell & Webb 1995, Riehl 2008, Johnsgard 2000, O´Neill 1974), but is unknown for the Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris). The Collared Trogon is a common resi- dent of humid and wet forest in several coun- tries of central and north South America