The national animal of Guatemala is the resplendent quetzal. This is a species of bird in the quetzal family found in Mexico and Central America. There are two recognized subspecies and as their name suggests, they are very brightly colored and beautiful birds. They are very important national symbols in Guatemala.
The resplendent quetzal is one of the most iconic of the birds in this family, and virtually all the birds of this family are extremely brightly colored and impressive.
Unsurprisingly, they have become very important symbols to the people of Guatemala today as well as having been historically very important.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Guatemala?
The national animal of Guatemala is the resplendent quetzal.
This is a species of the quetzal family that is found across Central America and in parts of southern Mexico.
They live in tropical forests, particularly in montane cloud forests.
They are part of the wider family of quetzal birds known as the Trogonidae family, and there are two subspecies of resplendent quetzal.
This bird is not to be confused with the extinct pterosaur which often goes by the same name, though whose full name is quetzalcoatlus.
The resplendent quetzal is well known for its plumage.
There is a great deal of sexual dimorphism as is commonly the case with birds of this kind.
Males sport iridescent green plumes with a red breast, belly, and black inner wings with a white undertail.
Females have a duller green plumage and a much shorter tail, as well as grey lower breasts, bills, bellies and a duller, bronze-green head.
They make hollows in decaying trees or sometimes use holes already made by woodpeckers to serve as their nests.
They were first described by Pablo de La Llave in 1832, a Mexican naturalist.
The term “quetzal” ever since then has most commonly been used to refer to this particular species known as the resplendent, though it does more generally include a lot of other species.
They are mostly omnivorous and tend to get most of their nutrition from fruits and plants.
However, they will also more occasionally prey on some animals, like insects, lizards, frogs and snails.
They will take turns incubating eggs, with males incubating during the day and females at night, usually with hatches of up to three eggs that hatch in up to 19 days.
They have played an important role in the mythology of many cultures—so why are they important in Guatemala today?
Why is the resplendent quetzal the national animal of Guatemala?
The resplendent quetzal is an important national symbol in Guatemala for a number of reasons.
For one thing, these birds are seen as symbols of freedom and liberty, being able to fly and go where they please as they are.
Of course, they are more limited to the habitats that they can live in, but of course this is as a symbolic vehicle that we are talking.
In that way, they are very important in Guatemala.
Of course, they are also among the best embodiments of Guatemala’s natural beauty.
Tropical birds are often some of the most strikingly beautiful creatures in the world, and so it is natural to have such a bird represent the natural beauty of your nation.
They have also been important to Mesoamerican mythology for millennia, being closely associated with the important deity Quetzalcoatl.
On the other hand, they are in a somewhat precarious position.
They have been listed as near threatened by the IUCN, and so making them the national animal can help bring attention to the struggles they are facing and go some way to helping their continued preservation.
How rare is the resplendent quetzal?
In terms of how likely you are to see a resplendent quetzal, then they are quite rare.
They are more common in isolated tropical rainforests where there are fewer people.
You aren’t likely to see one in an urban environment like a town or city.
On the other hand, they are not especially rare in terms of numbers though their populations have certainly declined over time.
There are estimated to be between 20,000 and 50,000 individuals left in the wild, which while still a fairly strong number, does make them near threatened and in need of protection from factors like the loss of their habitat.
Can quetzals be kept as pets?
Quetzals of any kind, including the resplendent quetzal, cannot be kept as pets.
They will die if kept in captivity and not to mention the fact that they will never be able to adjust to it.
Any tropical bird that is commonly kept as a pet, like a parrot, still has to be tamed from the earliest stage; these are not domesticated animals.
Quetzals are wild birds and should be kept that way.
The pet trade is almost never good for an animal’s conservation and so if people started wanting quetzals as pets it would put even greater strain on their existence.
So while you can’t take one home with you, the resplendent quetzal remains one of the most important national symbols in Guatemala.
They are embodiments of the country’s natural beauty and the diversity of its wildlife, and their brilliant plumage is truly a thing to behold.
Though their future is uncertain and steps will need to be taken to ensure their continued survival, today they hold strong and continue to be important to the people of Guatemala.