Resplendent Quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno
NTNear Threatened
- Length
- 36–40 cm
- Family
- Trogons (Trogonidae)
- Order
- Trogoniformes
Best months to see it
- JanJanuary: Poor or no data
- FebFebruary: Poor or no data
- MarMarch: Best
- AprApril: Best
- MayMay: Best
- JunJune: Best
- JulJuly: Poor or no data
- AugAugust: Poor or no data
- SepSeptember: Poor or no data
- OctOctober: Poor or no data
- NovNovember: Poor or no data
- DecDecember: Poor or no data
BestGoodFair
Overview
The resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is a small bird found in Central America and southern Mexico that lives in tropical forests, particularly montane cloud forests. They are part of the family Trogonidae and have two recognized subspecies, P. m. mocinno and P. m. costaricensis. Like other quetzals, the resplendent is mostly omnivorous; its diet mainly consists of fruits of plants in the laurel family, Lauraceae, but it occasionally also preys on insects, lizards, frogs and snails.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Diet: Fruit, especially wild avocados, and insects.
How to identify it
- Male: iridescent green with a crimson belly and tail streamers up to 65 cm long
- Fluffy green crest
- Often feeds on wild avocados
Voice
Soft whistled 'kyow' notes.
Where to see it
- Monteverde and San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica
Destination guides featuring this bird
Range and habitat
Continents
Habitats
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Resplendent quetzal
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
