Resplendent Quetzal, beautiful colorful bird
The resplendent quetzal owes its beauty to the intensity and striking contrast of its colors, the luster and shimmer of its plumage. Revered by pre-Columbian civilizations, the animal is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful birds in the world. Portrait of an exclusively Latin American species.
Resplendent Quetzal: 1 m long!
The resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) belongs to the Trogonidae family. Measuring less than 40cm in height, it appears much larger due to the impressive size of its tail feathers, approximately 61cm. Its weight is between 180 and 210 g. There are 2 subspecies:
Pharomachrus mocinno mocinno in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, eastern El Salvador and north-central Nicaragua;
Pharomachrus mocinno costariensis in Costa Rica and on the heights of western Panama.
The sacred bird of the Mayas and Aztecs inspired the myth of the god Quetzalcoatl, the famous feathered serpent. National emblem of Guatemala, the animal gave its name to the country's currency
Quetzal: more than resplendent… spectacular
The male has a splendid iridescent blue-green plumage on the upperparts, throat and upper chest, but its colors change according to the light, then adorning themselves with coppery and golden reflections. At the level of the tail, four long and thin supra-caudal coverts, baptized fillets, display the same color. Underparts, lower breast, belly and undertail-coverts are tinged red. The flight feathers are blackish and the rectrices white. Two small feather crests cover the top of its skull. Its beak is yellow, its eyes dark brown while its legs and feet take on a pale pink tone. The female quetzal takes on a similar coloration but without the bright metallic sheen of the male. It does not have a large colored tail or crest and its beak is gray-black.
Quetzal: a plumage to deceive the enemy
In the resplendent quetzal, the changing colors come from a multitude of pigments that both reflect sunlight (and repel ultra-violet rays) and foliage. This phenomenon called iridescence is also found in tarantulas, certain butterflies and shells as well as on soap bubbles, fuel on water or the sides of a CD. The ability to reflect light gives the Resplendent Quetzal effective camouflage in lush vegetation. Its predators do not see it or are confused by light interference and have difficulty estimating its precise size and location.
Resplendent Quetzal, a high-altitude bird
As seen previously, the two subspecies are present exclusively in Central America, particularly in southern Mexico and Costa Rica. The resplendent quetzal is not a long-distance migrant. After the breeding period, it only performs altitudinal movements according to the food resources. The bird frequents the canopy and sub-canopy of humid evergreen forests and usually perches in trees at a height of 25-40 m, even 60 m. The species likes altitude, it is rarely seen below 1200m. In Mexico in the north of the Chiapas, it is found between 900 and 2,300m and can rise to more than 3,000m in the north of Guatemala.
The resplendent quetzal fond of Lauraceae
The resplendent quetzal is mainly frugivorous, feeding on the fruits of plants of the genus Lauraceae, such as the Persea americana which gives the wild avocado. The bird plays an important role in the dispersal of seeds and therefore the renewal of the Lauraceae of the tropical forest. Along with plants, the trogonid can be opportunistic by supplementing its meal with animal protein. It thus happens to consume some invertebrates such as beetles and their larvae, flies, orthoptera, moths as well as small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs and snails. The carnivorous diet is mainly observed during the feeding of the young which are exclusively insectivorous during the first ten days of their life.
The resplendent quetzal, monogamous and territorial
During the mating season, the male often displays in groups of 10 to 20 individuals. Several rivals may covet the same female by chasing her from branch to branch and shouting. Once the pair is formed, they dig a nest with their beaks in the cavity of a rotting tree. From then on, the territorial and monogamous male chases any intruder approaching him. It also signals its presence by emitting whistles every 8 to 10 minutes. At the end of nesting, the bird loses its feathers which grow back the following year. During this period, the resplendent quetzal is more sensitive to the sun, to parasites and, unable to fly, it becomes very vulnerable to its predators.
A bare nest for the resplendent little quetzal
When the couple has dug a cavity in a tree trunk or a stump, they do not add any material to line the nest. The hole measures about ten centimeters in diameter and is positioned between 5 and 25 meters in height. The female usually lays two light blue eggs which both parents incubate alternately for 17 to 18 days. During the first week, the young are fed with insects and at the age of 15 days, they receive in addition fruits and small vertebrates. The chicks remain in the nest for 3 weeks and once well covered with feathers, they can fly away under the close supervision of adults. It will take 3 years for the young male to adorn himself with his shimmering adult plumage.
High mortality among young quetzals
You should know that the resplendent quetzal has a low reproductive rate: only a quarter of the eggs hatch, 80% of the young perish in the nest and of the remaining 20%, again 80% do not reach adulthood. This phenomenon is largely the responsibility of predation by squirrels, green toucanets, brown jays, weasels, tayras (mustelids), and other predators. The high mortality rate is also explained by bad weather (rain, wind, etc.) to which the nest is particularly exposed in the dead wood where it is located.
Resplendent Quetzal: Live Free or Die
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the resplendent quetzal as Near Threatened. The decline in its population is due to deforestation (rarity of its food), its capture for illegal trade and poaching for its feathers. However, it is relatively common in very remote areas of its habitat where man does not intervene. Note that breeding programs are doomed to failure because the resplendent quetzal does not support life in a cage. If held in captivity, the bird will starve and die of thirst. The resplendent quetzal is now highly protected in its range through the creation of several national parks. The longevity of the trogonid is 12 years.