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Quetzal

The quetzal is a bird found in Mexico, Central America, and in the northern regions of South America. It also lives in the Andean cloud forests which descend into the Amazon basin. It is bright green, with a red breast. It is a member of the Trogon family of birds, but stands out because of its amazing plumage – it has tail feathers reaching as long as 90 centimetre (3 ft). The male also has a crest on its head.

The quetzal's unusual appearance ensured a place for it in Central and South American Indian mythology. It was sacred to the Maya. To the Toltecs and Aztecs of Mexico, it was a representative of the god Quetzalcoatl – the feathered or plumed serpent. Some groups used its feathers as money before the arrival of Europeans. For others, the feathers were used as ornaments which could only be worn by the chief and his family. Hunters of the time used to catch the birds alive, pluck their long tail feathers, and re-release them.

According to an old Indian legend from Guatemala, the quetzal's plumage was once entirely green. Its crimson breast arose during the days of the Spanish Conquest, when there was a terrible battle between the Indians and the Spanish. The quetzal flew down to tend to the wounded – staining its breast crimson with blood. It still wears this crimson patch today. The quetzal is now the national bird of Guatamala and the name is also used for their unit of currency. The quetzal became a symbol for freedom since other legends say that it would rather die than live in captivity – though this seems not to be true since many survive happily enough in zoos around the world.

Quetzals spend most of the year alone, and choose to build their nests in rotting trees. The softened wood makes it easier for the quetzal to peck out a hole up to 90 centimetres deep. Alternatively, they may live in nests abandoned by toucans and woodpeckers. The birds live on a diet of fruit, insects, frogs, lizards, and snails. Quetzals don't appear to be a very smart bird, since hunters can approach and capture it quite easily.

Sadly, the quetzal is now endangered. Although officially protected, numbers continue to decline habitat destruction and poachers who still kill the birds for their feathers or skins.