The resplendent quetzal is a small bird found in Central America and southern Mexico that lives in tropical forests, particularly montane cloud forests. They are part of the family Trogonidae and have two recognized subspecies, P. m. mocinno and P. m. costaricensis. Like other quetzals, the resplendent is mostly omnivorous; its diet mainly consists of fruits of plants in the laurel family, Lauraceae, but it occasionally also preys on insects, lizards, frogs and snails.
Region
Central America
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily from southern Mexico (Chiapas) through Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua to Costa Rica and western Panama. It inhabits humid montane cloud forests rich in epiphytes, oaks, and laurels. Birds often concentrate around fruiting Lauraceae and use mature, mossy forest with abundant decaying snags for nesting. After breeding, some individuals descend to lower elevations following fruit availability.
Altitude Range
1200–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The resplendent quetzal is Guatemala’s national bird and a sacred symbol in Mesoamerican cultures. Males grow spectacular elongated upper tail coverts that can exceed their body length during the breeding season. They nest in rotting tree cavities that both sexes help excavate, and are notably sensitive to habitat disturbance and fragmentation.
A resplendent quetzal found in the Talamanca cloud forests of Costa Rica
Female eating a wild avocado
Temperament
shy and elusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with buoyant glides between perches
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, forming loose aggregations at fruiting trees. Pairs nest in soft, decayed trunks or stumps, enlarging existing cavities. Both sexes incubate and feed the young, with breeding timed to peak fruiting in cloud forests.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Calls are mellow, plaintive whistles, often rendered as a descending kwee-oo or kwik-kwik series that carries through misty forests. Vocalizations are spaced, haunting notes given from concealed perches, especially at dawn.
Plumage
Iridescent green upperparts with velvety crimson underparts; soft, flowing plumage with a prominent bushy crest. Males have extremely long, shimmering green upper tail coverts and fine vermiculated wing coverts; females are duller green with grayish to brownish underparts.
Diet
Primarily feeds on fruits of laurel family trees (Lauraceae), including wild avocados (Persea, Ocotea, Nectandra), which it swallows whole and later regurgitates the large seeds, aiding forest regeneration. It supplements with insects and other arthropods, and occasionally small vertebrates like lizards or frogs. Foraging is mostly sally-gleaning from mid to upper canopy perches.
Preferred Environment
Mid- to upper-canopy of mature cloud forests, especially along ridges and ravines with abundant fruiting laurels. Also visits forest edges and clearings when fruiting trees are present.
