Facts and Features of Beautiful Quetzal

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class: Aves

Sort : Trogoniformes

Family: Trogonidae

Genre: Pharomachrus , Euptilotis

Scientific name: Pharomachrus , Euptilotis

Common name : Quetzal

Other Name ( s ) : Trogon

Group: Bird

Number of species : 6

Location: Central America

Habitat: moist cloud forests and high

Color: Green, Blue, Red, White , Bronze, Grey, Brown

Skin Type: Feathers

Dimensions ( H): 35cm - 41 cm ( 14in - 16in )

Weight: 205g - 225g ( 7 oz - 8 oz)

Diet: Omnivorous

Prey : fruits, berries, insects

Predators : squirrels , owls , hawks

Lifestyle: Twilight

Group behavior : Solitary

Life Time: 20 - 25 years

Sexual Maturity Period: 5 - 6 years

incubation Time: 18 days

Average size of the clutch : 2

Name Of The Young: Chick

Fledging Age 4 weeks

Preservation status : Threatened

Estimated Population Size: 50,000

Greatest threat : the loss of habitat and trapping

Distinctive feature : Calls soft and deep, but loud

Trivia:Male feathered tail can be 1m long !

Classification and Evolution of Quetzal

The Quetzal is a medium sized bird that lives in the Central America tropical rainforests from southern Mexico to Panama.There are six sub-species of Quetzal which are located in different geographical locations including the Golden-headed Quetzal, the white-tipped Quetzal, the Pavonine Quetzal, the Eared Quetzal,Crested Quetzal and the most well-known Resplendent Quetzal, each of which belong to the family of  Trogon birds.The Quetzal is a bird with extremely colorful plumage in metallic colour and is widely regarded as one of the most amazingly, beautiful birds in the world.They are best known for the long tail feathers of the male.

Anatomy and appearance of Quetzal

The Quetzal males display the deep red chest and belly along with its bodies consisting of metallic green or blue colour.The male Quetzal also has a distinctive tuft of golden green feathers that consists a crest above the head and long double tail feathers that can grow up to one meter length.Although females do not grow like males but have same colouration to their male counterparts with their plumage not quite bright.The deep red chest is often much duller or even gray (as is the metallic green), and have colored heads of gray or bronze edged with green. As for the other members of the trogon family, at the foot of the Quetzal are unique with two facing forward and two backward on each foot that helps while reaching  high up in the trees.

Distribution of Quetzal

In the mountainous rainforests of Central America the Quetzal are found ,where they tend to prefer high mountain ranges at altitudes between 5,000 and 10,000 meters.The Quetzal likes to live in humid tropical forests areas that are incredibly moist,cooler and contain dense vegetation. Rainforests are one of the most successful living area for the Quetzal,where high humidity level makes fog in the forest. Quetzals lives in trees holes near the top of the canopy which is designed and build by them with their beaks, or that have been made by woodpeckers.The plumage of the Quetzal means that these birds are perfectly camouflaged among the lush vegetation that surrounds them.

Behaviour and Lifestyle of Quetzal

As the feet design of Quetzal and it is very lazy in nature so due to this reason it is rarely available on the ground to walk around .The Quetzal perches high up in the tree canopy,where their voices are almost as distinctive as their appearance.Depending on the situation,they make various kinds of calls which are soft and loud.The Quetzal is vocal when there is a lot of fog at dawn and dusk and rarely call during very sunny or windy atmosphere.Although the sounds of males tend to be more deep than those of females ,during the mating season the sounds produced are described as "whining."The Quetzal is also popular to make whistle-like calls at dawn and sunset to stake it's claim on its territory.

Reproduction and Life Cycles of Quetzal

It uses the strong beaks to make holes in rotting trees so that they can make nest.The female lays between one and three eggs that are incubated in the hole by both female and the male alternately.However, due to the fact that the male has feathers tail that can grow up to 3 feet long , they are often seen protruding out of  the nest when he is sitting on the eggs.Incubation lasts until  three weeks and when the chicks hatch are born with their closed eyes and are fed by their parents until they are strong enough to move. Quetzal chicks can usually fly from the moment there are three weeks old and once are confident enough , they will flee the nest to find a territory of their own (although they remain close to their father for their first years ).

Diet and Prey of Quetzal

The Quetzal is an omnivorous animal who is a skilled hunter ,swooping down and catching its prey before eating it while still in the air.They have a diet of mainly fruit-based and in particular encourage small avocado -like fruits that belong to the laurel family and are known to gather in large numbers around fruit trees.When their is a scarcity of fruits,the Quetzal eats insects and small animals such as frogs, lizards,snails and larvae provide the nutrition needed.The Quetzal plays a vital role in keeping with its surroundings,as the seeds of fruits and berries are scattered throughout the forest during eating.

Attackers and threats of Quetzal

Despite the fact that the feathers provide this beautifully colored bird with good camouflage in the forests are not particularly good  fliers and instead rely more on hopping among the branches.The Quetzal is therefore relatively easy prey for other animals to capture prey and mammals such as the Kinkajou , along with squirrels,hawks and owls.Due to the human settlements and agriculture decrease their areas of survival,so it is the most dangerous threat for Quetzal.

Features of Quetzal

Although Quetzal male is distinctly known for its incredibly long tail feathers ,do not begin to grow until they are three years ,with many individuals do not reach sexual maturity until they are almost six. The resplendent Quetzal is also known as the Guatemalan Quetzal and is not just a national symbol of the nation, but the currency in Guatemala is actually known as the " Quetzal ".The Quetzal belong to the family ' Trogon ' which is the Greek word for " gnawing ",which is a distinctive feature of these birds.

Human relation with Quetzal

The Quetzal was seen as a sacred animal to the ancient indigenous people including the Aztecs and the Maya and was often referred to as the Rare jewel bird of the world, together with regularity is depicted in native art .The long tail feathers of  males were also used in garments worn by royalty.Today, however, even if the Quetzal is still a valuable species  including Guatemala and Costa Rica countries , their numbers are decreasing due to both human interference in their natural range and capture them to exploit.

Conservation Status and Today's Life of Quetzal

The Quetzal is now considered as threatened species in it's  surroundings, as the population in their characteristic habitats are declining.Although there are protected forest areas where the will not be irritated ,are becoming popular tourist attractions ,both for birdwatchers and animal organizations.In some parts of natural surroundings ,does not survive very successful in captivity means that they are caught in the wild on a regular basis ,resulting in a decrease in the number of population.