Is the Quetzal Bird Going Extinct?

The Quetzal is one of the most stunningly attractive birds on Earth due to its metallic plumage and vibrant colouration. The males stand out due to their impressively long tail feathers.

The ancient Aztecs and Maya considered the Quetzal to be a sacred bird, and it frequently appeared in their art. The bird was also known as The Rare Jewel Bird of the World.

Do you want to find out more about this bird? keep reading fam!

 

What Does the Quetzal Look Like?

Besides the rich red of its chest and belly, the male Quetzal’s plumage is typically a brilliant metallic green or blue.

Male Quetzals are easily identified by their enormous size (up to a meter in length) and by the tuft of bright green feathers that form a crest on top of their heads.

Females are identical in appearance to males, but for the lengthy train, they don’t develop. However, their plumage isn’t quite as bright as the males’.

The metallic green is sometimes muted or even grey, the deep red of the chest is less vibrant, and their heads are grey or bronze with green highlights.

The feet of the Quetzal, like those of other Trogons, are shaped differently, with two forward-pointing toes and two backward-pointing toes on each foot.

 

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What is the Behaviour of the Quetzal?

The design of the Quetzal’s feet makes them very weak for walking, so the bird is rarely seen on the forest floor.

The Quetzal is a bird that may be easily identified by its unusual appearance and call from its perch high in the forest canopy.

Depending on the circumstances, they will employ one of several various calls, which range from low and deep to high and piercing.

When there is a lot of mist at dawn and night, the Quetzal is more likely to sing its morning and evening songs.

The mating season is characterized by “whining” sounds, despite the fact that males are louder in their calls than females.

The Quetzal is a territorial bird that will make whistle-like cries at both dawn and twilight.

 

What Makes up the Quetzal’s Diet?

The Quetzal is a superb hunter that consumes a wide variety of foods; it swoops down on its victim and devours it while it is still in the air.

They congregate in large numbers near trees with fruit since their diet consists mainly of fruit, specifically the little avocado-like fruits that are members of the laurel family.

When fruits are few, the Quetzal will eat other tiny animals including insects, lizards, frogs, snails, and larvae to get the nutrients it needs to survive.

The Quetzal is an essential part of the ecosystem because the seeds it eats are dispersed throughout the forest in its droppings.

 

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What are the Predators of the Quetzal?

Despite being well-hidden in the forest thanks to its colourful plumage, the Quetzal is actually a weak flier that gets around primarily by hopping from branch to branch.

As a result, the Quetzal is an easy target for predators such as the Kinkajou, squirrels, hawks, and owls that also make their homes in the treetops.

However, human settlements and farmland are increasingly encroaching on Quetzal habitats, posing a serious threat to the species’ current population.

The Quetzal is frequently captured for the purpose of being maintained as a tourist attraction, despite the fact that very few survive captivity.

 

Where is the Habitat of the Quetzal?

Quetzals are common in the cloud forests of Central America’s high mountains, where they prefer elevations of 4,000 to 10,000 feet.

The Quetzal prefers the relative coolness, dense vegetation, and high humidity of tropical rainforests. High levels of humidity and subsequent fog make cloud forests one of the best places for the Quetzal to thrive.

Quetzals make their homes in holes they carve out of trees with their powerful beaks or in holes previously used by Woodpeckers that have since been abandoned.

The stunning plumage of the Quetzal allows these birds to blend in seamlessly with the rich flora around them.

 

How Does the Quetzal Reproduce?

Quetzal birds utilize their powerful beaks to bore nesting holes in dead trees. The female lays anything from one to three eggs in the hole, and both she and the male take turns incubating them.

However, when the male Quetzal is sitting on the eggs, his long tail feathers—which may reach up to 3 feet in length—are typically visible because they protrude from the nest.

Chicks spend up to three weeks in the nest being incubated and fed by their parents before they are able to fend for themselves.

Quetzal chicks learn to fly by the time they are three weeks old, and once they are secure in their abilities, they leave the nest to establish their own territory (although they are known to stick near to their father for the first year).

 

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How is the Quetzal Being Conserved?

Although the eared and resplendent quetzals are classified as Near Threatened, none of the several species of quetzals face an immediate threat in the wild.

Only in primary cloud forests, like those still persisting in highland Guatemala, can the Pharomachrus mocinno find the standing dead and old trees necessary to construct its breeding burrows.

The remaining species are not listed as endangered by the IUCN and may all be found in most areas.

The Chicabnab Reserve in Alta Verapaz and the Baja Verapaz region of the Sierra de las Minas are home to some of the region’s densest populations.

It is important to remember that although quetzals are commonly found in cloud forests, the fragmentation of these ecosystems into smaller and smaller areas is a major threat to their continued existence.

During the summer, when precipitation is more common, Resplendent quetzals are known to migrate to lower elevations in search of more abundant ripe fruits of the Lauraceae family.

 

Conclusion

However, today the Quetzal’s numbers are dropping due to human intervention in their natural habitats and the capture of individuals to be displayed in captivity, despite the fact that the bird is still highly prized in many nations, including Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Due to declining population numbers in their unique habitats, the Quetzal is now classified as a Threatened species in its immediate surroundings.

We @ Pestclue urge that you help conserve these birds and save a Quetzal today by sharing this with your friends!

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