Air Date: Week of June 7, 2024

A male Resplendent Quetzal perches atop a branch. (Photo: Norm Herr, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

Birds tend not to pay attention to borders between nations, and many routinely migrate between the United States and Mexico each spring and fall without showing any papers whatsoever. But if you happen to live north of that border, you’ll need your passport to go see one incredibly remarkable bird called the Resplendent Quetzal. BirdNote®’s Lucina Melesio has more.

Transcript

DOERING: Birds tend not to pay attention to borders between nations, and many routinely migrate between the United States and Mexico each spring and fall without showing any papers whatsoever. But if you happen to live north of that border, you’ll need your passport to go see one incredibly remarkable bird. BirdNote®’s Lucina Melesio has more.

BirdNote®

Resplendent Quetzal: Mexico’s Sacred Bird

Written by Lucina Melesio

[Guatemalan rainforest soundscape]

MELESIO: Deep in the forests of Southern Mexico and Central America, the Resplendent Quetzal is a sight to behold.

[Resplendent Quetzal songs]

And if you catch a glimpse of the bird’s emerald green feathers, fiery red breast and its striking blue tail that winds on and on, up to three times the length of its body, you might even think you’ve seen a flying serpent.

[Resplendent Quetzal calls]

Which is probably why the Aztecs considered this bird a representation of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, one of the most worshiped gods across ancient Mesoamerica. Known as Kukulkan to the Mayans, the god was associated with creation and knowledge.

[Resplendent Quetzal songs]

But no matter how sacred, Resplendent Quetzals are currently considered near threatened due to a declining population. Deforestation and illegal trade are the main threats to their survival.

Quetzals hold an important role in their ecosystem. As they feast on fruits like avocados and wild aguacatillo, they scatter their seeds, playing a crucial part in forest regeneration.

These majestic birds prefer cloud forests, building their nests in tree cavities. Both parents share the duties of incubating the eggs and raising their young.

[Resplendent Quetzal songs]

It takes two quetzal parents to raise a bird this magnificent.

I’m Lucina Melesio.

###

Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. ML211598 recorded by Josue de León Lux, and Resplendent Quetzal ML6193 recorded by Anne LaBastille.
Resplendent Quetzal Xeno Canto XC326653 recorded by Beatrix Saadi-Varchmin.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote September 2023
Narrator: Lucina Melesio

ID# REQU-01-2023-09-19 REQU-01

https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/resplendent-quetzal-mexicos-sacred-bird

DOERING: For pictures, vuela or fly on over to the Living on Earth webpage, loe.org.

 

Links

Bird Note | “Resplendent Quetzal: Mexico’s Sacred Bird”

Learn More about Bird Notes

Learn more about the Resplendent Quetzal