The Resplendent Quetzal (queen swallow) is one of the most precious and beautiful birds in the world .

They have beautiful sparkling emerald green feathers and dark red breast feathers. The tail feathers of this bird are twice as long as the body, combined with the bird’s striking color, so it is easy to understand why it was considered by the ancients to be a bird of “unparalleled” beauty.

The Quetzal bird is considered a sacred symbol to the Maya and Atzec people.

Quetzal birds are generally omnivorous, eating almost anything, including fruits, berries, insects, lizards, frogs and any other small animals they can catch. However, according to the American Bird Conservation Committee, their favorite food is small wild avocados. They will swallow the whole fruit and then spit out the seeds after eating all the flesh.

In particular, for the Mayans and Aztecs, the Quetzal bird is considered a sacred symbol. It is said to represent gods, so people are not allowed to kill them.

The ruling class of the Aztecs and Mayans would often capture male Quetzal birds to use their tail feathers as headdresses and then release them.

Lost or plucked feathers became a valuable currency, which is why Quetzals became the name of Guatemala’s currency starting in 1925.

Quetzal birds live in mountain cloud forests from southern Mexico to western Panama. Many people come to these areas hoping to have the opportunity to admire this precious bird.

However, Quetzal bird lovers cannot catch and put them in cages to watch every day. The reason is because this bird loves freedom . They would rather starve to death than be imprisoned in painted and gilded cages. Therefore, the Quetzal bird is also called “free bird”.

The Quetzal bird belongs to the Trogonidae family and stands out with its colorful plumage. They often peck at soft wood or rotten trees to create nest holes.

Due to deforestation, illegal hunting as well as the impact of climate change, the Quetzal bird population has declined significantly. The Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the current population of this precious bird as about 50,000 individuals and is classified as “near threatened”.