The Resplendent Quetzal is often held to be the most beautiful bird in the Western Hemisphere. A member of the elegant Trogon family, the Resplendent Quetzal is unique in that the breeding plumage of the males includes spectacular tail feathers that can reach two feet (60cm) in length. Birdwatchers from around the world make the long and bumpy trek to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve in the Tilarán mountains of Costa Rica to attempt to catch a glimpse of this magnificent bird.

The beauty of the Resplendent Quetzal has been admired for centuries. It was an important element of early Central American mythology, and Aztec royalty wore headdresses including plumes removed from live-trapped males (which could then be released to grow new feathers with their next molt). Guatemalans so revere the Quetzal that they chose it as the national bird, and even named their monetary unit the "quetzal".

Resplendent Quetzals rely heavily on the fruit of wild avocados for food. The fruits are swallowed whole, and the large seeds, still viable, are often regurgitated at some distance from the source tree. Because Quetzals are among the only frugivorous (fruit-eating) birds able to eat these large fruits, it is thought that the wild avocados are quite reliant on them to disperse their seeds. Thus, Quetzals and wild avocado trees both need each other.

The breeding season for Resplendent Quetzals in Monteverde lasts from March though June or July. The birds naturally choose to nest in dead trees and stumps 3-20 meters (10-60 feet) above the ground. They will often enlarge cavities started by woodpeckers, but can also use their beaks to chip out their own holes if none are available already. The female lays two blue eggs and both parents help incubate for the next 18-19 days until they hatch. The growing chicks are initially fed mostly small invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles, but begin to eat fruit as they mature. The chicks fledge about 25 days after hatching -- if they escape the constant threat of predation. Less than 20 percent of the young survive to leave the nest. Toucanets, Brown Jays, squirrels, Tayras, and weasels are all happy to make a meal of young Quetzals.

In Monteverde, Costa Rica, the Resplendent Quetzals are present only during January-July. It was long a mystery where the birds spend the rest of the year. In 1989, local biologist George Powell used miniature radio transmitters to track Monteverde Quetzals when they left their breeding range as the avocado fruit in the cloud forest became scarce. He found that they first move down the Pacific slope for about three months (July-October), then migrate again to the Atlantic slope for another several months (October-December) before returning to Monteverde. This movement is extremely important to Quetzal conservation, since it requires that three distinct regions be protected to ensure a year-round food source for the birds. Fortunately, it has been possible for a large amount of land to be purchased and protected. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve and other organizations continue to investigate ways to establish biological corridors to further protect the Quetzal and other migratory species throughout their migrations. It is still essential that additional land be protected if this magnificent symbol of Monteverde's cloud forests is to thrive for centuries to come.

Sources: 

The Resplendent Quetzal. M. Fogden and P. Fogden. Green Mountain Publishing. 1996.

Costa Rica's Resplendent Quetzals. Educational Pamphlet Series by D. Norman. 1993.

This website was developed to enhance global understanding of the unique and important cloud forests of Central America. Through their impact on water and soil quality, climate patterns, and numerous known and unknown plant and animal species, cloud forests profoundly affect life surrounding them and life around the planet. Current financing and management provided by the Tropical Science Center and Forum One Communications. Past support from the World Bank and the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD). Contact Wagner Lopez info@cloudforestalive.org with comments or questions.