Quetzal

Share Top Five March 20, 2019

Quetzals are strikingly colored birds in the trogon family.They are found in forests, especially in humid highlands, with the five species from the genus Pharomachrus being exclusively Neotropical, while a single species, the eared quetzal, Euptilotis neoxenus, is found in Mexico and very locally in the southernmost United States. Quetzals are fairly large (all over 32 cm or 13 inches long), slightly bigger than other trogon species.The resplendent quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala,More info:wiki

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#10 Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno,More info:neotropical.birds.cornell

#9 Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno),More info:Wildlife-Lodges

#8 Resplendent Quetzal,More info:ebird

Large, spectacular trogon of humid evergreen and pine-evergreen forest in the mountains of southern Mexico and Central America. It is the national bird (and lends its name to the currency) of Guatemala. Usually rather shy, but can be found feeding quietly at fruiting trees. Male is unmistakable with long emerald plumes flowing out behind in flight or blowing in the wind when perched. On females, note large size, grayish head, gray bill, and greatly reduced jagged plumes on the side of the breast.

#7 Resplendent Quetzals,More info:costa-rica-guide

Resplendent Quetzals are startling emerald jewels of the cloud forest. They shimmer from one shade to another, blending almost magically with the wet green background of their constantly misty high altitude homes. Their color seems ephemeral for a reason; quetzals are not green at all. It’s hard to believe, but quetzals are actually brown.

They are colored by melanin, the same pigment that causes tanning in humans. Highly magnified, quetzal feathers are alternately translucent and dark brown. The magic comes from melanin pigment stripes regularly spaced 5,400 angstroms apart causing interference that “traps” most colors of light but reflects green light, which bounces back to your eye.