Resplendent quetzal
Resplendent quetzal | |
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Male in Monteverde , Costa Rica
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Female at nest hole in Savegre, Costa Rica | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Trogoniformes |
Family: | Trogonidae |
Genus: | Pharomachrus |
Species: | P. mocinno
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Binomial name | |
Pharomachrus mocinno de la Llave, 1832[3]
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Subspecies | |
Pharomachrus mocinno costaricensis | |
Range of P. mocinno |
The resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is a small bird found in
The species is well known for its colorful and complex plumage that
The resplendent quetzal is considered
Taxonomy
The resplendent quetzal was first described by Mexican naturalist Pablo de La Llave in 1832.[4] It is one of five species of the genus Pharomachrus, commonly known as quetzals.[5] Quetzal is usually specifically used to refer to the resplendent, but it typically applies to all members of the genera Pharomachrus and Euptilotis.[6][7][8] Some scholars label the crested quetzal as a very close relative of the resplendent, and either suggest the crested quetzal to be a subspecies of the resplendent or the two form a superspecies.[9] The quetzal clade is thought to have spread out from where it emerged in the Andes, the resplendent quetzal being the youngest species.[9] The name of the genus, Pharomachrus, refers to the physical characteristics of the bird, with pharos meaning 'mantle' and makros meaning 'long' in Ancient Greek.[10] The word 'quetzal' came from Nahuatl (Aztec), where quetzalli (from the root quetza, meaning 'stand') means 'tall upstanding plume' and then 'quetzal tail feather'; from that, Nahuatl quetzaltotōtl means 'quetzal-feather bird' and thus 'quetzal'.[11]
Two
Description
The resplendent quetzal is the largest trogon.[12] It is 36 to 40 cm (14–16 in) long; in the nominate subspecies, the tail streamers measure between 31 cm (12 in) and 100.5 cm (39.6 in), with the median being 75 cm (30 in) for males. The nominate subspecies weighs about 210 g (7.4 oz), while the subspecies costaricensis is slightly smaller than the nominate race, with shorter wings and bills. The tail plumes are shorter and narrower, measuring between 32 cm (13 in) and 86 cm (34 in), with the median being 63 cm (25 in).[13]
Resplendent quetzals have a green body (showing iridescence from green-gold to blue-violet) and a red lower breast and belly. Depending on the light, quetzal feathers can shine in a variant of colors: from green, cobalt, lime, and yellow to ultramarine.[14] Their green upper tail coverts hide their tails and are particularly splendid in breeding males, being longer than the rest of the body. Though the quetzal's plumage appears green, they are actually brown due to the pigment melanin.[10] The primary wing coverts are also unusually long and have a fringed appearance. The male has a helmet-like crest. The bill, which is partly covered by green filamentous feathers, is yellow in mature males and grey in females. Their iridescent feathers, which cause them to appear shiny and green like the canopy leaves, are a camouflage adaptation to hide within the canopy during rainy weather.[14] The quetzal's skin is very thin and easily torn,[15] so it has evolved thick plumage to protect its skin. It has large eyes, adapted to see in the dim light of the forest.[16] Their song is an array of full-toned, mellow, slurred notes in plain patterns and is often remarkably melodious: keow, kowee, keow, k'loo, keeloo.[17]
Distribution and habitat
This species inhabits amidst lush vegetation, in specially moist rainforests at high elevations (900–3,200 m (3,000–10,500 ft)).
Quetzal's abundance in its mating areas is correlated with the total number of fruiting species, although the correlation between quetzal abundance and the number of fruiting Lauraceae species is only marginal.[20]
Behavior
Resplendent quetzals generally display shy and quiet behaviour to elude
Feeding
Resplendent quetzals are considered specialized fruit-eaters, feeding on 41 to 43 species, although they also feed on insects (primarily wasps, ants, and larvae), frogs, lizards, and snails.[1][23] Particularly important are the Symplococarpon purpusii and wild avocados, as well as other fruits of the laurel family, which the birds swallow whole before regurgitating the pits, which helps to disperse these trees.[24] Quetzals feed more frequently in the midday hours.[24] The adults eat a more fruit-based diet than the chicks, who eat insects primarily and some fruits.[24] Over fifty percent of the fruit they eat are laurels.[25] Quetzals use the methods of "hovering" and "stalling" in order to selectively pick the fruit from near the tips of the branches.[24]
Breeding
Resplendent quetzals create their nests over 200 feet (60 m) up in the air and court in the air with specific calls.[14] Six specific vocal calls have been recorded: the two-note whistle, gee-gee, wahc-ah-wahc, wec-wec, whistle, coouee, uwac, chatter, and buzzing.[14] The first call is related to male territorial behavior, while the coouee whistle is a mating call.[14] Resplendent quetzals usually live alone when not breeding. They are monogamous territorial breeders, with the size of their territory in Guatemala being 6–10 ha (15–25 acres).[14] They are also seasonal breeders, with the breeding season lasting from March to April in Mexico, May to June in El Salvador, and March to May in Guatemala.[26] When breeding, females lay one to three pale blue eggs with a mean of 38.9 millimetres (1.53 in) x 32.4 millimetres (1.28 in) in a nest placed in a hole which they carve in a rotten tree.[14] Resplendent quetzals tend to lay two clutches per year and are known to have a high rate of nest failure, 67-78%.[27] One of the most important factors when choosing a nest location for the quetzal is that the tree must be in a stage of decomposition and decay. They often reuse their previous sites.[10] The height of nest stubs is 41 feet (10 m) and the nest holes 31 feet (9 m).[14]
Both parents take turns at incubating, with their long tail coverts folded forwards over out of the hole, giving them the appearance of a bunch of fern growing out of the hole. The incubation period lasts about 17 to 19 days,[1] during which the male generally incubates the eggs during the day while the female incubates them at night.[28] When the eggs hatch, both parents take care of the young, feeding them entire fruits, such as berries and avocados, as early as the second day. However, chicks are primarily fed insects, lizards, snails and small frogs.[22] It was observed that males generally give more food, namely insects, than females.[17] Nestlings are often neglected and even abandoned by females near the end of the rearing period, leaving it up to the male to continue caring for the offspring until they are ready to survive on their own.[17] During the incubation period, parents land and rotate their heads side to side before entering the nest, a process known as "bowing in".[14] This process ends when the chicks hatch.[14] Young quetzals begin flying after a month, but the distinctive long tail feathers can take three years to develop in males.[29]
Conservation status
The population trend varies between subpopulations but is generally decreasing although certain populations may be increasing or are at least stable. It is classified as being
It was thought that the resplendent quetzal could not be bred or held for a long time in captivity, and was noted for usually dying soon after being captured or caged as a result of assimilation of iron through water ingestion, with this now understood they are now given
In culture
The resplendent quetzal is of great importance to
One Mayan legend has it that a resplendent quetzal accompanied the hero,
Gallery
Notes
- ^ It is sometimes spelled mocino, but "ñ" was formerly spelled "nn" in Spanish, so the spelling with "nn" is justified and nonetheless now official.[39]
- ^ There is some variation between sources, some cite that the span is between 1,000–3,000 m (3,300–9,800 ft) while others claim elevations of 1,300–3,000 m (4,300–9,800 ft). [40][41]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ "Pharomachrus mocinno". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
- ^ Montenegro, Gustavo (2006). "Biografía simbólica". Revista D. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006.
- ^ "Taxonomy of Pharomachrus". ITIS. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ Quetzal. 1890. In: Encyclopædia Britannica a dictionary of arts, sciences, and general literature. Chicago: R. S. Peale & Co. p. 179-180.
- ^ "Eared Quetzal (Euptilotis neoxenus) - BirdLife species factsheet". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
- S2CID 216174032.
- ^ S2CID 216317227.
- ^ a b c d e Sittler, Pablo (2019). Acoustic behavior and ecology of the Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno, a flagship tropical bird species. Biodiversity and Ecology. Museum national d'histoire naturelle (phdthesis thesis). Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ISBN 0-8061-3452-6.
- ISBN 978-1-56098-388-0.
- ^ ISSN 0007-1595.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j A. LABASTILLE; D. G. ALLEN; L. W. DURRELL. "BEHAVIOR AND FEATHER STRUCTURE OF THE QUETZAL" (PDF). Sora.unm.edu. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Pena, Eric. "Pharomachrus mocinno". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- ^ "National Bird Day Profile: The Resplendent Quetzal". Born Free USA. 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
- ^ S2CID 134966092. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ .
- S2CID 73715643.
- S2CID 86242565.
- ^ S2CID 89248314. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ .
- ^ Dayer, Ashley. Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg) (ed.). "Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)". Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
- ^ JSTOR 2389058.
- S2CID 216317227.
- ISBN 84-87334-30-X.
- S2CID 216317227.
- S2CID 85749023. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- S2CID 89248314.
- .
- ^ a b "Resplendent Quetzal". American Bird Conservancy. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- .
- ^ ISBN 978-0815308874. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
- JSTOR 3868355.
- ISBN 978-0-473-11989-8. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
- ^ Rafferty, John P. "quetzal". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ Bierhorst, J. 1985. A Nahuatl-English dictionary and concordance to the cantares mexicanos. California: Stanford University Press.
- ^ "Quetzal". Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- JSTOR 4081862.
- . Retrieved 2022-08-23.
- S2CID 134966092.
Sources
- Atkins, Edward G.; Kimber, Rita; Kimber, Robert, eds. (1991). Vanishing Eden: The Plight of the Tropical Rain Forest. Barrons Educational Series, Inc. ISBN 0-8120-6246-9.
- Henderson, Carrol L.; Adams, Steve; Skutch, Alexander F. (2010). Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide. ISBN 978-0-292-71965-1.
- Howell, Steve N. G.; Webb, Sophie (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-854012-4.
- Williamson, Sheri L.; Colston, P.R. (2003). "Trogons". In ISBN 1-55297-777-3.
External links
- Media related to Pharomachrus mocinno at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Pharomachrus mocinno at Wikispecies
- BirdLife species factsheet for Pharomachrus mocinno
- Ball, Philip (14 December 2004). "Mystery of 'chirping' pyramid decoded". Nature. doi:10.1038/news041213-5.pyramid makes echoes of handclaps that resemble quetzal vocalizations.
Discussion of a theory that a Mayan
- ocasa.org: An archaeological study of chirped echo from the Mayan pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, with audio files of a quetzal and of two Quetzal bird chirps recorded in a rain forest compared to two chirped echoes simulated by a handclaps at the pyramid
- "Resplendent quetzal media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Resplendent quetzal photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)