#pharomachrus

[herpsandbirds]

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), male, family Trogonidae, order Trogoniformes, Costa Rica

photograph by Edwin Martinez

[alonglistofbirds]

[2776/11080] Crested quetzal - Pharomachrus antisianus

Order: Trogoniformes (trogons and quetzals) Family: Trogonidae

Photo credit: Camilo Zabala via Macaulay Library

[birdblues]

Resplendent Quetzal

[colorsoutofearth]

Resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) close up of feathers

Photo by Claudio Contreras

[triruntu]

#491, a resplendent quetzal for @iamtheonethinginlifeicancontrol.

Just over six years ago, this bird was #64. It’s come a long way since then.

Requests for birds are open, updates happen on Thursdays. [project tag] | [kofi] [commissions] Find me on: [twitter]

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Rarest Animals In The World That Are On The Brink Of Extinction

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus Mocinno)

Wikimedia Commons

[birds-mid-noms]

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)

© Eric Gofreed

[proton-wobbler]

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)

"Very green. Very long. Swallows avocados whole. What’s not to love?" "Terrified to submit in case someone else already has but this is one of my favorite birds ever. I became obsessed with them in elementary when I learned that they could not be kept in captivity. There’s just something beautiful about a bird that loves freedom so much it will starve itself if put in a cage"

The wikipedia page for this species is absolutely packed to the brim with interesting facts. If you're interested in trogon or quetzal at all, I'd totally recommend taking the time to deep dive and read the whole thing. Holy crap there's a lot.

Quetzal court in the air while making specific calls to each other. They nest in cavities, with males incubating during the day and females taking the night shift. Their long tail coverts typically end up poking back out of the nest entrance. The males typically take better care of their chicks by bringing more food, and staying until the end of the rearing period, while females will abandon a nest to return to solitary life in the forest.

These birds hold high status in Guatemalan culture and are often associated with the myths of Quetzalcoatl. Their tail feathers were a symbol of sprouting plants in spring, and they were regarded as a figure of freedom and wealth, as they did not thrive in captivity, and their feathers could be used almost as currency. In Maya and Aztec culture, killing a quetzal was forbidden, so the birds were captured and their tail feathers trimmed before they'd be set free again.

Sources:

Image source: eBird ( Andrew Spencer)

[shiny-and-sparkling-birds]

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)

© Arthur Steinberger

[birdstudies]

August 24, 2022 - White-tipped Quetzal (Pharomachrus fulgidus)

These trogons are found in cloud forests in Colombia, Venezuela, and possibly Guyana. Foraging alone or in pairs and sometimes gathering at fruiting trees, they eat fruit and berries making short flights from perches to pluck food items while hovering. They nest in cavities, including those made by woodpeckers, laying clutches of two eggs.

[herpsandbirds]

Resplendent Quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno), L - female and R - male, family Trogonidae, order Trogoniformes, found in Central America

photograph by Randall Arias

[perfect-plumage]

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)

© Sue Bishop

[birdblues]

Resplendent Quetzal

[fascinator-birds]

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)

© Arthur Steinberger

[birdygotback]

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)

© Arthur Steinberger

[wingedjewels]

Quetzal Resplandeciente - Resplendent Quetzal - (Pharomachrus mocinno) by Raúl Vega Via Flickr: Copey de Dota, Costa Rica