Resplendent Quetzal is a bird with beautiful sparkling emerald green plumage and crimson breast feathers. It is because of this incredible beauty that it is considered a sacred symbol in the Mayan culture as well as that of the Aztecs.
Queens live in mountain cloud forests from southern Mexico to western Panama, making this land also among the most sought-after destinations for birdwatchers.
This species belongs to the family Trogonidae, members of which are distinguished by their colorful plumage and their unique feature of pecking at softwood or decaying trees to create nesting holes.
The queen swallow is an omnivorous bird. They eat fruits, berries, insects, lizards, frogs and any small animals they catch. However, according to the American Bird Conservation Commission, their favorite food is a small wild avocado, which they will swallow whole and then release the seeds after they have eaten all the flesh.
This is considered one of the most beautiful birds in the world. The female has brilliant plumage of the colors blue, green and red ; however, the male birds are not as prominent although they are more lively.
According to National Geographic, in addition to the green crest, when it comes to mating season, their tail feathers will be able to grow to nearly 1 meter long.
This means that when it’s their turn to incubate 2-3 eggs laid inside the stem, the male tends to stack the feathers on his back to avoid being noticed. Even so, sometimes their fur is so long that it seems to be exposed.
Not surprisingly, this bird’s feathers play an important role. When males try to impress their fellow humans during mating season, they will fly down from tall trees to show off their long tail feathers. In addition to that beautiful performance, the male also sang to the female.
The tail feathers of this bird are culturally significant. The Aztec ruling class would capture male birds for their tail feathers as headgear, then release them.
For the Mayans, Queen Nuoc also had an almost divine status. This bird could not be tamed and was bred in captivity, so it became a symbol of freedom. Fallen or plucked feathers became a valuable currency, which is why “Quetzals” became the name for Guatemala’s currency, which began. since 1925.
Currently, due to deforestation and poaching, the population of Queen Nuoc is decreasing. The IUCN lists the bird’s current population at around 50,000 and classifies it as “Near Endangered”. Thankfully, in reserves like El Jaguar in Nicaragua and Los Quetzales National Park in Costa Rica, people are protecting this bird’s rainforest habitat.
It is known that these birds have a reputation that they will not breed in captivity, but Southern Mexico ZooMAT has partnered with the Dallas World Aquarium to hatch more than a dozen eggs since 2009. 2003. The release of these birds into the cloud forests of El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas state could be a small step in rebuilding this wild population.
Theo The Epoch Times
