The quetzal bird was a well respected icon in the Mayan world and continues to be regarded as a relic. Here’s everything you need to know about the quetzal bird.
What is a quetzal bird?
A quetzal bird (pronounced Ket-zal) is a beautiful, secretive bird that lives in Central America. The part of the Central America that’s home to the quetzal bird is considered the Mayan World. This area extends from the Coast of Tabasco down to Honduras.
The quetzal bird is very colorful and has long tail feathers. The quetzal bird has green, white and red plumage though sometimes its tail or body can look blue or gold. This is an optical illusion that occurs when the bird runs into favorable light.
The quetzal bird is small, about the size of a hen, and is hard to pick out in its habitat because it blends in terrifically with its surroundings.
The quetzal bird lives in the cloud forests in Mexico and Panama. The forest the quetzal bird lives in is considered a cloud or mist forest because it’s constantly damp and always covered with mist. Your chances of actually seeing a quetzal bird are slim to none. They are very secretive and live in areas that are not populated. To find a quetzal bird you would have do some serious hiking in Mexico’s jungle forests. Even then, you might come back empty handed.
What does the quetzal bird eat?
The quetzal bird eats wild avocados. In fact, that’s the bird’s favorite food. Wild avocados are found on the lowest branches of the avocado tree so the quetzal bird swoops down from the treetops, nabs the avocado, drops it and then eats it. When they can’t find an avocado to munch on, the quetzal bird will dive into insects and other fruit.
The quetzal bird as a Mayan icon
The quetzal bird has been around for a long time. The Mayan people, who are largely responsible for developing and populating Central America, used the quetzal bird and the rattlesnake in art, decoration and worship. The Mayan people saw both the quetzal bird and the rattlesnake as the strongest animals in the animal kingdom and saw them as a symbol of strength and good things to come. The quetzal bird symbolized what they called “the creator” and his or her desire to come to earth.
The quetzal bird and the rattlesnake are always seen together in what’s left of the Mayan world. This is because the two birds moving together symbolized life and the transformation from light to dark or day into night.
Mayan ruins are flush full of quetzal birds. The beautiful, long feathers of the quetzal bird were also used to decorate the robes and clothing of priests (who were highly revered figures) as well as kings.
