Copyright: monacoeye • Chiriqui, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Resplendent Quetzal
Latin: Pharomachrus mocinno
Other: Quetzal or Quetzal mesoamericano (Es)
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons and Quetzals
Range: S Mexico to W Panama, montane cloud forest

The Resplendent Quetzal is a spectacular bird with superb iridescent colours and, in the male, long tail feathers. I saw these birds in May in Chiriqui, Western Panama, in the hills above Los Quetzales Lodge. Quetzales are fruit eaters, so can sometimes be found in groups feeding in certain fruiting trees.

The male has a superb red belly, white tail, long green tail feathers and upper parts, with yellow bill and green crest. The female is duller and lacks the long tail feathers and crest.

Classified Near-Threatened on the IUCN Red List, Respendent Quetzals are not always that easy to find in Panama - they are most common in the western Chiriqui highlands. They nest in tree holes.

The males are very beautiful in flight, their tails undulating through the air like snakes. The Resplendent Quetzal is the largest bird in the trogon family, the national bird of Mexico, and a sacred bird in Mayan culture.
More photos...

088 Trogonidae - Quetzals, Trogons - IOC 2.4 June 2010.

Family: Trogonidae - the Quetzals and Trogons, 42 species currently.

Euptilotis neoxenus - Eared Quetzal - W Mexico

Pharomachrus pavoninus - Pavonine Quetzal - Amazonia
Pharomachrus auriceps - Golden-headed Quetzal - Venezuela to N Bolivia
Pharomachrus fulgidus - White-tipped Quetzal - N Venezuela, N Colombia
Pharomachrus mocinno - Resplendent Quetzal - S Mexico to W Panama
Pharomachrus antisianus - Crested Quetzal - Venezuela to N Bolivia

Priotelus temnurus - Cuban Trogon - Cuba
Priotelus roseigaster - Hispaniolan Trogon - Hispaniola

Trogon clathratus - Lattice-tailed Trogon - Costa Rica, Panama
Trogon massena - Slaty-tailed Trogon - SE Mexico to NE Ecuador
Trogon comptus - Choco Trogon - W Colombia, NW Ecuador
Trogon mesurus - Ecuadorian Trogon - W Ecuador, NW Peru (split from T. melanurus)
Trogon melanurus - Black-tailed Trogon - Panama to Venezuela, Amazonia
Trogon melanocephalus - Black-headed Trogon - SE Mexico to N Costa Rica
Trogon citreolus - Citreoline Trogon - W Mexico
Trogon chionurus - White-tailed Trogon - Panama to W Ecuador (not sister sp of T. viridis)
Trogon bairdii - Baird's Trogon - Costa Rica, Panama
Trogon viridis - Green-backed Trogon - Amazonia, SE Brazil (not sister sp of T. chionurus)
Trogon caligatus - Gartered Trogon - E Mexico to NW South America (split from T. violaceus)
Trogon violaceus - Violaceous Trogon - Amazonia, Guianas
Trogon curucui - Blue-crowned Trogon - Central and Eastern South America
Trogon surrucura - Surucua Trogon - SE South America
Trogon rufus - Black-throated Trogon - Honduras to Ecuador, Amazonia, SE
Trogon elegans - Elegant Trogon - SW USA to Costa Rica
Trogon mexicanus - Mountain Trogon - Mexico to Honduras
Trogon collaris - Collared Trogon - E Mexico through Amazonia, SE Brazil (includes T. aurantiiventris, Orange-Bellied Trogon)
Trogon personatus - Masked Trogon - Colombia to Peru, SC Venezuela

Apaloderma narina - Narina Trogon - Africa - widespread
Apaloderma aequatoriale - Bare-cheeked Trogon - Central and WC Africa
Apaloderma vittatum - Bar-tailed Trogon - WC and Eastern Africa

Apalharpactes reinwardtii - Javan Trogon - Java (from Blue-tailed Trogon to Javan Trogon)
Apalharpactes mackloti - Sumatran Trogon - Sumatra

Harpactes fasciatus - Malabar Trogon - India & Sri Lanka
Harpactes kasumba - Red-naped Trogon - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
Harpactes diardii - Diard's Trogon - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
Harpactes ardens - Philippine Trogon - Philippines
Harpactes whiteheadi - Whitehead's Trogon - Borneo
Harpactes orrhophaeus - Cinnamon-rumped Trogon - Malay Peninsula, Borneo
Harpactes duvaucelii - Scarlet-rumped Trogon - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
Harpactes oreskios - Orange-breasted Trogon - Southeast Asia, Greater Sundas
Harpactes erythrocephalus - Red-headed Trogon - Himalayas & S China to Sumatra
Harpactes wardi - Ward's Trogon - NE India to N Vietnam

Trogons are insect and fruit eaters and live in tree holes. They have weak legs, so don’t move much when settled. When observed they turn their back to hide their colourful front. They respond well to calls. They have a unique adaptation of toes where digits 3 and 4 point forward and 1 and 2 point back.