General Information

The Resplendant Quetzal is often held to be the most beautiful bird in the Western Hemisphere. The Quetzal's beauty has been admired for centuries all the way back to early Central American mythology. Aztec royalty wore headdresses which included plumes removed from live-trapped males, which would later be released to grow new feathers with their next molt. Guatemalans hold the Quetzal in such high respects that they chose it as their national bird, and even named their monetary unit the "quetzal". Despite its legendary history, the Quetzal is in danger of extinction, partly due to hunting of the bird for food and trade, but mainly due to destruction of its elevated habitat to clear land for subsistence agriculture.

Physical Description

The Quetzal has a bright, iridescent colored plumage that appears green or blue, according to the changes of daytime light. Its underbelly is crimson red and chest is glittery green. The male Quetzal has bright, spectacular tail feathers that can reach up to two feet, sometimes twice as long as its own body. They are approximately 40 centimeters long and about the same size as a hen. 

Diet

Resplendent Quetzals rely heavily on the fruit of wild avocados for food. The fruits are swallowed whole, and the large seeds are later regurgitated some distance from the source tree. Because Quetzals are among the only frugivorous (fruit-eating) birds able to eat these large fruits, the avocado trees are quite reliant on them to disperse their seeds. Thus, Quetzals and wild avocado trees both need each other.

Habitat

The Quetzal lives in the mist forests of Chiapas, which is located at the southernmost tip of Mexico. These forests only grow high enough in the mountains to be covered with mist at dawn and dusk. Thus, the mist forests are very damp, cold, and rainy like islands at the top of the mountains. Although Mexico has mist forests in various areas, the quetzals only live in the forests of Chiapas.

Reproduction

The breeding season for Resplendent Quetzals lasts from March though June or July. The birds naturally choose to nest in dead trees and stumps 10-60 feet above the ground. They will often enlarge cavities created by woodpeckers, but can also use their beaks to chip out their own holes if none are available already. The female normally lays two blue eggs and both parents help incubate for the next 18-19 days until they hatch. If left unprotected, the nest is subject to animals such as tucanetes and weasels eating the young.