resplendent quetzal bird illustration I did a while back in my old style. I just feel like these beautiful birds need some more recognition. 💚

The resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is a bird native to Central America and is the national bird of Guatemala. They live up in cloud forests where they feed on various fruits, plants, and the occasional bug, lizard or snail. Males have impressive iridescent green-blue plumage with long tail feathers, while females have less brilliant green and grey plumage with striped tail feathers. They are a near threatened species with its main cause of decline being deforestation, since they rely on dead trees and branches to perch and roost.

This bird also has important significance in mesoamerican mythology, being named after the deity Quetzalcoatl. This name may be familiar to fellow paleo nerds because the famous, giant Quetzalcoatlus was also named after the feather serpent god.
Sources: Wikipedia