Resplendent quetzal
Resplendent quetzal | |
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Monteverde, Costa Rica | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Trogoniformes |
Family: | Trogonidae |
Genus: | Pharomachrus |
Species: | P. mocinno
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Binomial name | |
Pharomachrus mocinno | |
Subspecies | |
P. m. costaricensis | |
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Range of P. mocinno |
The resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is a small bird, found in southern Mexico and Central America, with two recognized subspecies, P. m. mocinno and P. m. costaricensis. These animals lives in the tropical forest, concretely montane cloud forests and they are part of the trogon family. Like other quetzals, the resplendent is omnivorous, its diet mainly consists of fruits of the family Lauraceae, but occasionally also preys on insects, lizards, frogs and snails.
The species is well known for its colorful and complex plumage that differs substantially between sexes. Males have iridescent green plumes, a red lower breast and belly, black innerwings and a white undertail, whilst females are duller and have a shorter tail. Grey lower breasts, bellies and bills and bronze-green heads are too characteristics of females. These birds hollow holes on decaying trees or use ones already made by woodpeckers as a nest site. They are known take turns while incubating, males throughout the day and females at night. The female usually lays one to three eggs and they hatch in 17 to 19 days. The quetzal is an altitudinal migrant specie, migrating from the slopes to the canopy of the forest. This occurs during the breeding season, which varies depending on the location, but usually commences in March and goes as far as August.
The resplendent quetzal enjoys a near threatened status in the IUCN Red List, habitat destruction being the main threat. Pharomachrus mocinno plays an important role in Mesoamerican mythology, and is closely associated with Quetzalcoatl. Presently, it is the national animal of Guatemala, being pictured on the country's flag, coat of arms and it also lends its name to the country's currency, the Guatemalan quetzal.
Taxonomy
The resplendent quetzal was first described by Mexican naturalist Pablo de La Llave in 1832.[4] It is one of five species of the genus Pharomachrus known as quetzals.[citation needed] The term quetzal was originally used for just this species, but is now applied to all members of the genera Pharomachrus and Euptilotis.[citation needed]
Two subspecies are recognised, P. m. mocinno and P. m. costaricensis. The epithet mocinno is Llave's latinization of the name of the biologist J. M. Mociño, a mentor of his (it is sometimes spelled mocino, but "ñ" was formerly spelled "nn" in Spanish, so the spelling with "nn" is justified and in any case now official[5][6]).
The word "quetzal" came from Nahuatl (Aztec), where quetzalli (from the root quetza = "stand") meant "tall upstanding plume" and then "quetzal tail feather"; from that, Nahuatl quetzaltotōtl means "quetzal-feather bird" and thus "quetzal".[7]
Description
It is the largest representative of the trogon order.[8] This species is 36 to 40 cm (14–16 in) long; in the nominate subspecies, the tail streamers measures between 31 cm (12 in) and 100.5 cm (39.6 in), with the average being 75 cm (30 in) of tail streamer for the male, and weighs about 210 g (7.4 oz), while the subspecies costaricensis is slightly smaller than the nominate race, with shorter wings, bill. The tail plumes are both shorter and narrower, measuring between 32 cm (13 in) and 86 cm (34 in), with the average being 63 cm (25 in).[9]
Resplendent quetzals have a green body (showing iridescence from green-gold to blue-violet) and a red lower breast and belly. Depending on the light, quetzal feathers can shine in a variant of colors: green, cobalt, lime, yellow, to ultramarine.[10] Their green upper tail coverts hide their tails and in breeding males are particularly splendid, being longer than the rest of the body. Though quetzal plumages appear green, they are actually brown due to the melanin pigment.[11] The primary wing coverts are also unusually long and give a fringed appearance. The male has a helmet-like crest. The bill, which is partly covered by green filamentous feathers, is yellow in mature males and grey in females. Their iridescent feathers, which causes them to appear shiny and green like the canopy leaves, are a camouflage adaptation to hide within the canopy during rainy weather.[10] The skin of the quetzal is very thin and easily torn,[12] so it has evolved thick plumage to protect its skin. Like other members of the trogon family, it has large eyes that adapt easily to the dim light of its forest home.[13]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Resplendent_Quetzal_in_Costa_Rica.jpg/220px-Resplendent_Quetzal_in_Costa_Rica.jpg)
Their "song" is a treble syllable described as kyow or like "a whimpering pup", often in pairs, which may be repeated monotonously. Resplendent quetzals have other unmusical calls as well.[citation needed]
Distribution and habitat
This species lives among lush vegetation, in very moist rainforest zones of high elevation (900-3200 meters).[1] They populate the trees that make the canopy and subcanopy of the rainforest, though they can also be found in ravines and cliffs.[1] Pharomachrus mocinno prefers to inhabit decaying trees, stumps, and abandoned woodpecker hollows.[1] The resonantly loud colors of the quetzal are camouflaged by their natural habitat in the rainforest.[12] The resplendent quetzal can be located from southern Mexico (southernmost Oaxaca and Chiapas) to western Panama (Chiriquí).[14] The range between the two subspecies differs. The P. m. mocinno is found in southern Mexico, north El Salvador, northwest Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras. While the P. m. costaricensis is found in Costa Rica and western Panama.[9] The geographically isolation between the two subspecies is due to the Nicaraguan depression, a 50 km wide, 600 km long bottomland that contains the two largest lakes from Central America, videlicet the Lake Managua and the Lake Nicaragua and the deficiency of the breeding habits in regions adjoining to.[14] It was observed that the quetzal migrates from their breeding areas in the lower montane rainforest to pre-montane wet, moist and foggy on the Pacific slopes for three to four months (July-October), after which they move across the continental divide to the Atlantic slopes.[15]
In a study, results showed that quetzal abundance in the mating area was correlated with the total number of fruiting species, albeit the correlation between quetzal abundance and the number of fruiting Lauraceae species was only marginal.[16]
Behavior
Resplendent quetzals generally display shy and quiet behaviour to elude predators.[17] In contrast, during mating season they are rather vocal and their comportment is designated to exhibit and attract. Their known predators include the ornate hawk-eagle, golden eagle, and other hawks and owls as adults, emerald toucanets, brown jays, long-tailed weasels, squirrels, and the kinkajou as nestlings or eggs.[18]
Feeding
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Resplendent_Quetzal.jpg/220px-Resplendent_Quetzal.jpg)
Resplendent quetzals are considered specialized fruit-eaters, annually feeding on at least 41 species, although they mix their diet with insects (notably wasps, ants, and larvae), frogs, lizards and snails.[1][19] Particularly important are wild avocados and other fruit of the laurel family, which the birds swallow whole before regurgitating the pits, which helps to disperse these trees. Quetzals feed more frequently in the midday hours.[20] The adults eat a more fruit-based diet than the chicks, who eat primarily insects and some fruits.[20] Over fifty percent of the fruit they eat come from the family Lauraceae.[21] Quetzals use the methods of "hovering" and "stalling" in order to selectively pick the fruit near the tips of the branches.[20]
Breeding
Resplendent quetzals create their nests over 200 feet (60 m) up in the air and court in the air with specific calls.[10] Six specific vocal calls have been recorded: the two-note whistle, gee-gee, wahc-ah-wahc, wec-wec, whistle, coouee, uwac, chatter, and buzzing.[10] The first call is related to male territorial behavior, while the coouee whistle is identified as a mating call.[10] Resplendent quetzals usually live alone when not breeding. They are monogamous territorial breeders, with the territory size being measured in Guatemala as 6–10 ha (15–25 acres).[10] They are also seasonal breeders, with the breeding season being March to April in Mexico, May to June in El Salvador and March to May in Guatemala.[22] When breeding, females lay one to three pale blue eggs in a nest placed in a hole which they carve in a rotten tree. Resplendent quetzals tend to lay two clutches per year and are known to have a high rate of nest failure, around 70 percent.[23] A tree in the required stage of decomposition is susceptible to weather damage, and the availability of suitable trees may limit the resplendent quetzal population.
Both parents take turns at incubating, with their long tail-covert feathers folded forwards over the back and out of the hole, where they tend to look like a bunch of fern growing out of the hole. The incubation period lasts about 17 to 19 days[1], during which the male generally incubates the eggs during the day while the female incubates them at night.[24] When the eggs hatch, both parents take care of the young, feeding them, as early as the second day, entire fruits, such as berries and avocados, howbeit chicks are primarily given insects, lizards, snails and small frogs.[18] The female often neglects and even abandons the young near the end of the rearing period, leaving it up to the male to continue caring for the offspring until they are ready to survive on their own. During the incubation period, when a parent approaches the nest hole, they land and rotate their head side to side before entering, otherwise known as "bowing in".[10] This process ends when the chicks hatch.[10] Young quetzals begin flying after three weeks old but for the males, their distinctive long tail feathers take three years to develop.[25]
Status and conservation
The current population trend of the resplendent quetzal is decreasing. It is classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, with a population estimated between 20,000-49,000 individuals.[1] Due to the remote habit of the quetzal more monitoring is required to confirm the rate of decline, and depending on the results it could lead to uplisting a higher threat category.[1] In 2001 the quetzal, remained only on 11 small-isolated forests.[26] Its biggest threat is habitat loss, due to deforestation, forest fragmentation and agricultar clearing.[1] The quetzal is also sometimes hunted for food and trapped for illegal trading.[1][27] Cloud forests, the resplendent quetzal habit, are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world,[28] however, it does occur in several protected areas, and is a sought-after species for birdwatchers and ecotourists.[1]
Relationship with humans
Myth and legend
The resplendent quetzal is of great relevance to Guatemalan culture, being a character in various legends and myths. It was considered divine, likely associated with the, Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent and god of life, light, knowledge and the winds by pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations.[17] Its iridescent green tail feathers, symbols for spring plant growth, were venerated by the ancient Aztecs and Maya.[27] The Maya also viewed the quetzal symbolizing freedom and wealth, due to their view of quetzals dying in captivity and the value of their feathers along with jade, respectively.[29] Mesoamerican rulers and some nobility of other ranks wore diadems made from quetzal feathers, symbolically connecting them to Quetzalcoatl.[30] Since it was a crime to kill a quetzal, the bird was simply captured, its long tail feathers plucked, and was set free.[17] The feathers were considered so precious that they were even used as a medium of exchange.[17] In several Mesoamerican languages, the term for quetzal can also mean precious, sacred, or erected.[citation needed]
Until recently, it was thought that the resplendent quetzal could not be bred or held for any long time in captivity, and indeed it was noted for usually dying soon after being captured or caged, as a result of assimilation of iron through water ingestion.[17] For this reason it is a traditional symbol of liberty.[30] The national anthem of Guatemala even includes the verse, "Antes muerto que esclavo será" (Rather death than a slave). However, recent scientific discoveries of the bird susceptibility to iron, has allowed some zoos, including Miguel Álvarez del Toro Zoo in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico keep this species, and in 2004 breeding in captivity was announced. A chick hatched and reached the age of six weeks at the time of the report.[31]
One Mayan legend has it that a quetzal bird accompanied local hero, Tecún Umán, prince and warrior of the Quiché (K'iche') Maya, during his battle against Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado. Tecún merely equipped with an arrow and bow, nevertheless manages to disable Alvarado's horse on a first strike. Alvarado was then given a second horse and counter-charges against Tecún, running through his chest with a spear. The quetzal flew down and landed on Tecún body, drenching its chest in the warrior prince’s blood. It is there that the bird which used to be completely green acquired its distinctive red chest feathers. From that day on, the quetzal that sang beautifully before the Spanish conquest, has been silent ever since; it will sing once again only when the land is truly free.[12][32]
Gallery
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Male at Savegre in Costa Rica
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Female eating a wild avocado
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Male standing on a branch
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Male displaying his long tail
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k BirdLife International (2016). "Pharomachrus mocinno". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22682727A92958465. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22682727A92958465.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ "Pharomachrus mocinno". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
- ^ Montenegro, Gustavo (2006). "Biografía simbólica". Revista D.
- ^ Eisenmann, E. (1959). "The Correct Specific Name of the Quetzal, Pharomachrus mocinno". Auk. 76 (1): 108. doi:10.2307/4081862. JSTOR 4081862.
- ^ "Pharomachrus mocinno Nomenclature". zoonomen.net. June 2005.
- ^ Andrews, J. Richard (2003). Introduction to Classical Nahuatl. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-3452-6.
- ^ Johnsgard, Paul A. (2001). Trogons and Quetzals of the World. Smithsonian. ISBN 978-1-56098-388-0.
- ^ a b Schulz, Ulrich; Eisermann, Knut (December 2017). "Morphometric differentiation between subspecies of Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno mocinno and P. m. costaricensis) based on male uppertail-coverts". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 137 (4): 287–291. doi:10.25226/bboc.v137i4.2017.a6. ISSN 0007-1595.
- ^ a b c d e f g h A. LABASTILLE; D. G. ALLEN; L. W. DURRELL. "BEHAVIOR AND FEATHER STRUCTURE OF THE QUETZAL" (PDF). Sora.unm.edu. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ "Resplendent Quetzals - Where and When In Costa Rica". costa-rica-guide.com.
- ^ a b c Pena, Eric. "Pharomachrus mocinno". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- ^ Sinasac, Jenn. "National Bird of Guatemala: The Resplendent Quetzal". whitehawk. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b Solórzano, Sofia; Baker, Allan; Oyama, Ken (2004). "Conservation Priorities for Resplendent Quetzals Based on Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA Control-Region Sequences". Ornithological Applications.
- ^ Bjork, Robin; Powell, George (1994). "Implications of altitudinal migration for conservation strategies to protect tropical biodiversity: a case study of the Resplendent Quetzal Pharomacrus mocinno at Monteverde, Costa Rica". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ Solórzano, Sofía; Castillo, Silvia; Valverde, Teresa; Ívila, Lourdes (2006). "Quetzal Abundance in Relation to Fruit Availability in a Cloud Forest in Southeastern Mexico". Biotropica.
- ^ a b c d e Tremain, Cara (2016). "Birds of a Feather: Exploring the Acquisition of Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) Tail Coverts in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica". SpringerLink. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b Wheelwright, Nathaniel (1983). "Fruits and the ecology of resplendent quetzals". Ornithology.
- ^ Dayer, Ashley. Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg (ed.). "Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)". Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
- ^ a b c H., Ma. Lourdes Avila; O., V. Hugo Hernandez; Verlarde, Enriqueta (25 May 1996). "The Diet of Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus Moncinno mocinno: Trogonidae) in a Mexican Cloud Forest". Biotropica. 28 (4): 720–727. doi:10.2307/2389058. JSTOR 2389058.
- ^ "Resplendent Quetzal - Diet and Foraging - Neotropical Birds Online". neotropical.birds.cornell.edu.
- ^ Collar, N.J. (2001). "Family Trogonidae (Trogons)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 6 Mousebirds to Hornbills. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 126–127. ISBN 84-87334-30-X.
- ^ "Resplendent Quetzal - Breeding - Neotropical Birds Online". neotropical.birds.cornell.edu.
- ^ Lebbin, Daniel (2007). "Nesting Behavior and Nestling Care of the Pavonine Quetzal (Pharomachrus pavoninus)". The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "Resplendent Quetzal - National Geographic". nationalgeographic.com. 11 November 2010.
- ^ Solórzano, Sofia; Castillo-Santiago, Miguel; Navarrete-Gutiérrez, Dario; Oyama, Ken (2003). "Impacts of the loss of neotropical highland forests on the species distribution: a case study using resplendent quetzal an endangered bird species". ScienceDirect.
- ^ a b "Resplendent Quetzal". American Bird Conservancy. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- ^ Reynaud, Javier; Sabillón, Miriam; Barahona, Allan. "Abundance of the Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno (Trogoniformes, Trogonidae) in the tourist sector of a cloud forest reserve". Neotropical. Neotropical Biology and Conservation.
- ^ Owen, Michael (2013). The Maya Book of Life: Understanding the Xultun Tarot. Routledge. p. 423. ISBN 978-0-473-11989-8. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
- ^ a b Evans, Susan Toby; David L. Webster (2000). Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia. Kahurangi Press. pp. 265–66. ISBN 978-0815308874. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
- ^ Orellana, Claudia (2004). "Quetzals Bred in Captivity in Chiapas". Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 2 (7). Ecological Society of America: 345. doi:10.2307/3868355. JSTOR 3868355.
- ^ "Quetzal". Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
Sources
- Atkins, Edward G.; Kimber, Rita; Kimber, Robert, eds. (1991). Vanishing Eden: The Plight of the Tropical Rain Forest. Barrons Educational Series, Inc. ISBN 0-8120-6246-9.
- Henderson, Carrol L.; Adams, Steve; Skutch, Alexander F. (2010). Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide. Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 176–177. ISBN 978-0-292-71965-1.
- Howell, Steve N. G.; Webb, Sophie (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-854012-4.
- Williamson, Sheri L.; Colston, P.R. (2003). "Trogons". In Christopher Perrins (ed.). Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds. Firefly Books. pp. 362–363. ISBN 1-55297-777-3.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikispecies-logo.svg/34px-Wikispecies-logo.svg.png)
- BirdLife species factsheet for Pharomachrus mocinno
- "Mystery of 'chirping' pyramid decoded". nature.com. 14 December 2004.
Discussion of a theory that a Mayan pyramid makes echoes of handclaps that resemble quetzal vocalizations.
- ocasa.org: An archaeological study of chirped echo from the Mayan pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, with audio files of a quetzal and of two Quetzal bird chirps recorded in a rain forest compared to two chirped echoes simulated by a handclaps at the pyramid
- "Resplendent quetzal media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Resplendent quetzal photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)