Resplendent Quetzal

Replendent Quetzal - male
(Pharomachrus mocinno)

The resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is a colorful Central American rainforest bird.

Replendent quetzals are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the males and female birds look different from each other. The males are more colorful than females, have long tail feathers that may extend 24 inches in length, and have a crest on the tops of their heads.

Resplendent Quetzal - female

The females are less coloful than males, have shorter tail feathers, and don't have a crested head.

They build their nests in the tree hollows of decaying trees and both parents take care of the young.

Their diet consists mainly of fruits (mainly avocados), insects, and small animals.

Due to deforestation, resplendent quetzal populations are declining.