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Animal profile

Resplendent Quetzal

Pharomachrus mocinno

AvesMontane cloud forest, typically between about 1,200 and 3,000 metresNear Threatened

Field profile

The resplendent quetzal is an iridescent green trogon with a crimson belly; breeding males carry greatly elongated upper tail coverts. It nests in soft decaying tree trunks and feeds heavily on wild avocados in the laurel family. It moves altitudinally through the year as different fruits ripen.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-08-23

Resplendent Quetzal

The quetzal's long tail is not a tail

The metre-long green streamers of a breeding male quetzal are upper tail coverts, feathers that overlie the tail rather than form it. The true tail beneath is short, black and white, and largely hidden.

Read with evidence →

Resplendent Quetzal | Daily Animal Facts