The breeding season of the resplendent quetzal varies slightly across its range, but tends to fall somewhere between February and July (2) (7). During this time, males attract females by performing courtship dances, aerial displays, calls and loud singing (5) (8). Both the male and female assist in nest building, after which mating occurs within the chamber. One to two eggs are laid, which are then incubated by both parents for 17 to 18 days (5). Once hatched, the male and female take turns to feed the chicks until they fledge after 23 to 31 days (2) (5). It has been reported that less than 20 % of young survive to leave the nest, being preyed upon by toucanets, brown jays, squirrels and weasels (6), and that of those that fledge, another 80 % die before adulthood (2). During the first 10 days of life, hatchlings are fed almost exclusively on insects, with fruit and small vertebrates such as frogs, lizards and snails being introduced to the diet as they grow (2) (5). Fruit forms the bulk of the adult diet, preferentially wild avocados produced by the laurel family (Lauraceae), but insects, small frogs and lizards will be taken when fruit is scarce (2) (5).

The most spectacular feature of the resplendent quetzal, often held to be the most beautiful and ornate bird species in the Western Hemisphere, is the greatly elongated, glistening emerald-green tail feathers of breeding males (5) (6) (7). These are longer than the entire body of the bird, and are in fact upper tail coverts that extend beyond the bird's snow-white tail, forming an elegant train of 'streamers' that are flaunted during the mating season in a spectacular swooping flight display (8) (9). The rare beauty of this bird comes not only from this extravagant train, but also from the glitter of its iridescent plumage and striking contrast of its colouration. The head, neck, chest, back and wings are a metallic green, while the lower breast, belly and under tail coverts are bright crimson. In addition, a distinct tuft of bristly golden green feathers form a short crest on top of the male's head (5). Females are similar but of less conspicuous colours than males, having a bronze-green head and grey mid-breast to mid-belly, and without the impressive tail streamers (2) (5). The beak is short but powerful, yellow in the male and black in the female. Its impressive plumage and longstanding cultural significance to the people of Central America has earned the species the accolade of 'rare jewel bird of the world' from some cultures (5).

Pharomachrus mocinno occurs throughout the montane cloud-forests of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and western Panama east to Cerro San Antonio in Veraguas^1,3,6,8. It is common in the Cordillera de Talamanca and protected cloud-forests in Costa Rica⁹, Cerro El Arenal and Cerro Kilambe reserves, Nicaragua⁷ and Sierra de Agalta National Park, Honduras², but otherwise uncommon to locally common. In Costa Rica in 1977, it was estimated that there were 12,868-13,821 individuals in Talamanca Forest and 4,652-4,997 in La Amistad National Park, based on the extrapolation of a density of 2.7-2.9 birds/km^{2 11}. In 2007, populations in Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Costa Rica during the breeding season were estimated at 2,810-4,780 mature individuals, with 2,300-6,246 mature individuals estimated in the IBAs of Panama¹². Its populations are presently in decline.

Cloud forest and montane forests of Central America. Range from Southern Mexico to Panama.

(Gotch 1981)

Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )

Historic Range:
Mexico to Panama

Found throughout Central America from southern Mexico to Panama, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua (5). Two subspecies are recognized, with distinct distributions. P. m. mocinno occurs in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, eastern El Salvador and north-central Nicaragua, while P. m. costaricensis occurs in Costa Rica and the west highlands of Panama (2).

Size: 14 in. (35cm) from bill to base of tail. Males' magnificent tail can be up to as much as 3ft. (90cm) long. Excluding tail, the length of the quetzal is comparable in size to a Magpie, Grosbeak, or Pigeon.

(Grolier 1996, Grzimek 1972)

Coloration: The most extravagant feature of the male quetzal is its iridescent tail plumes, which can add up to 3 ft. to the birds length. The head, neck, chest, back and wings of the males are a metallic green, while the breast and belly are bright crimson. The male has a distinct tuft of bristly upstanding golden green feathers on top of his head, forming a crestlike structure.

The female quetzal is very similar in color, yet far less conspicuous than males. The head of the female ranges from smoky-gray to bronze tinged with green at the edgings. The breast is sometimes gray or a muted shade of red far less vibrant than the males. Often the brilliant green that the males display is replaced with browns and buff tones in the female.

(Grolier 1996, Middleton and Perrins 1985, Skutch and Stiles 1989, Skutch 1983)

Feet: The feet of the quetzal are very unusual, yet quintessential to the Trogon family. They have olive-gray colored feet with four toes on each foot (two in front and two in back). The first and second toes have been shifted to the rear, while the third and fourth are directed forward. This makes their feet very weak and the first and second toes immovable.

(Birkhead and Brooke 1991, Grzimek 1972, Skutch and Stiles 1989)

Skin: The skin of Pharomachrus mocino is very flimsy, thin and quite easily torn. Because of the fragile skin, feathers fall out excessively while being prepared in museums. Rapid fading of feather colors also make the quetzal a poor species for display.

(Birkhead and Brooke 1991)

Beak: The beak of the quetzal is significant to the name of its order and family; Trogon meaning gnawing in Greek. The quetzal's beak is fairly short although very powerful. The male bird has a yellow beak while the female's is black. Males and females use their small beaks primarily for nesting and gnawing.

(Grzimek 1972, Skutch and Stiles 1989)

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

The Quetzal is a relatively inactive bird who lives among lush vegetation, in very moist rainforest zones. They often choose high mountain ranges (4,000-10,00 ft.) that are cool. They live in the trees that form the canopy of the rainforest. Pharomachrus mocino prefers to inhabit decaying trees, stumps, and sometimes old woodpecker hollows. The biosterously loud colors of the quetzal are somewhat camouflaged by their natural habitat in the rainforest.

(Grolier 1996, Grzimek 1972, Skutch 1983)

Terrestrial Biomes: rainforest

Found in the canopy and sub-canopy of undisturbed humid montane cloud forest, thickly vegetated ravines and cliffs, and pastures at forest edges (2) (10). High mountain ranges (900 – 3,200 m) that are cool are often favoured (2) (5). The nest is a deep, unlined excavated cavity with a single entrance in a decaying tree trunk or stump, or occasionally enlarged from an old existing woodpecker's hollow (5). In Costa Rica, altitudinal migrations have been recorded, in which the bird moves to lower elevations in the non-breeding season (10).

The quetzal is preferentially a frugivore, yet it often must commit to omnivorous practices. The favored fruits and berries of the quetzal are produced by the laurel family, whose fruits resemble miniature avocados. The aguacatillo is an example of a laurel fruit in the quetzal's diet. Quetzals maintain a mutualistic relationship with the laurel family, as the plants depend on the bird to disperse seeds in their droppings. Many birds may meet at one tree at the same time. The Ira Rose Tree is a common source of food for quetzals. When fruits are not available the quetzal resorts to eating a variety of foods such as insects, small frogs, and lizards. The quetzal is a great hunter: it swoops down and grasps its food (prey, or fruit) and engulfs it while in the air.

(http, Skutch 1983, Skutch and Stiles 1989)

Breeding: The breeding season of the quetzal is from March to June. During this time males perform courtship dances, calls and loud singing in order to attract females. The male's call during this season sounds like "very-good very-good." Quetzals are hole-brooders that use their beaks to excavate holes in decaying bark, but they do not fill the brood with nesting materials such as thatch or leaves, they simply deposit their clutches on the bare floor of the chamber. Both male and female quetzals assist in the nest building. These simple nests are usually located 15-45 ft. from ground level, and are about 4-4 1/2 in. (10-11.4cm) in diameter.

Once a pair is established and the two have built a nest together, they mate inside the chamber. The female lays her eggs, usually two, on the floor of the chamber. The eggs are light-blue, globular in shape, and 35x30mm. Parental care is exhibited by both quetzals, during the incubation period of 17-18 days. The pair shares incubation duties, separating the times of day each cares for the clutch. The female broods during the night and midday, while the male broods in early morning and late afternoon. It was throught by native people that the quetzal built two entrances to the chamber so the male would not damage his fabulous plumes during incubation, but this idea has been discarded because male quetzals are often seen with tattered tails during mating season.

(Grolier 1996, Gzimek 1972, Skutch 1983, Skutch and Stiles 1989)

Hatchlings: After about 17-18 days, the quetzals eggs hatch exposing naked hatchlings with closed eyes and a white egg tooth near the tip of the upper mandible. The eyes remained closed for the entire first week after hatching. The hatchlings develop rapidly, and by two weeks they are profusely covered with feathers excluding their heads. The feathers of the young quetzal are very soft and pale in tone. They closely resemble the female in her muted tones of grays and dull greens. The young birds also lack the traces of crimson on the breast that both adult birds possess. During the first week the hatchlings are fed almost exclusively insects by both parents. Any debris or waste from hatchlings is removed from the chamber and the nest is kept very clean. When the young reach about two weeks of age, fruits and small vertebrates (frogs, lizards, and snails) are introduced to them. The nestlings stay in brooding chamber, and under the care of their parents for approximately three weeks, with the parents feeding them alternately as demonstrated in incubation. The juvenile birds approach the entrance of the chamber at about three weeks, and soon they are taught to fly usually by the male bird. The male feeds and tends to the bird which attempts to fly first, and the second is usually ignored until it too flies from the nest. Soon after, the birds can fly with confidence and they leave the nest permanently. The young birds, however, continue to spend time with their parents. The juvenile quetzals do not develop their vibrant colors for some time and male quetzals do not fully develop their plumes for three years.

(Grzimek 1972, Skutch 1983)

The quetzal is legally protected in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama, although enforcement in remote areas where birds are found is nearly impossible. In Costa Rica, national parks have been set up to protect the endangered quetzal. Braulio Corrillo, Pos, Chirripo, La Amistad, Monteverde and the Los Angeles cloud reserves all cooperate in the preservation of the Resplendent Quetzal.

The population of quetzals has greatly decreased due to factors such as cloud forest destruction, hunting, and capture of these birds for trade. The quetzal however, is still somewhat common in very remote areas of Central America.

(King 1977)

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near threatened

Current Listing Status Summary

Status: Endangered
Date Listed: 06/14/1976
Lead Region: Foreign (Region 10) 
Where Listed:


Population detail:

Population location: entire
Listing status: E

For most current information and documents related to the conservation status and management of Pharomachrus mocinno , see its USFWS Species Profile

Classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List 2004 (1), classified as Endangered on the U.S. Endangered Species Act 1976 (3), and listed on Appendix I of CITES (4).

Population

Major Threats

The resplendent quetzal has declined significantly due to destruction of its cloud-forest habitat for subsistence agriculture, and hunting for food and trade (5) (7). It has long been thought that the quetzal does not fair well in captivity, and its inability to be caged has led it to become a symbol of liberty. As such, Guatemala has adopted the species as its national bird, with the species appearing on the coat of arms of the country, on the flag and postage stamps, and quetzal is even the name of the currency (5). Despite its revered status, however, the bird has suffered particularly badly in war-torn Guatemala due to widespread forest clearance for coffee plantations between 1880 – 1930, and hunting for its plumes (2) (7).

Conservation Actions

The resplendent quetzal is legally protected in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama, but enforcement in remote areas is extremely difficult and poaching evidently continues (5). The species occurs in numerous protected areas across its range. In particular, Costa Rica has made great efforts to preserve the endangered bird through setting up an extensive system of national parks and wildlife reserves, resulting in a highly successful and lucrative eco-tourism business (7). However, the main problem for the Monteverde population in Costa Rica is that its seasonal migratory behaviour between higher and lower altitudes has complicated the conservation of the species (8). Only the habitat in which the bird breeds is protected within the confines of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, while the feeding ground to which it descends in the non-breeding season is on private land, and forests here are becoming increasingly fragmented (8) (10). Thus, there is presently an initiative underway, spearheaded by the Monteverde Conservation League, to persuade landholders to conserve parts of their land for this and other native fauna. Having been regarded with awe for centuries by a variety of cultures, the resplendent quetzal is now becoming increasingly vulnerable to extinction, and it is the collective responsibility of all its range nations to ensure that effective conservation measures are made now, so that this exquisite species and cultural icon may endure for many more centuries to come (8).

The quetzal is very important to tourism in Central American countries. In places such as Guatemala and Costa Rica the quetzal is often held in captivity to attract tourists. These practices are very profitable for humans, however they are very detrimental to the population of the threatened quetzal.

(Grolier 1996)