What is the most famous bird in all the world? There are some obvious candidates that leap to mind. The ostrich. Various species of penguins. Eagles might cross the mind. The chicken? That is probably the answer, though if you say junglefowl, that is certainly a lot less familiar to average folks. Certainly a contender would have to be this month's feature, the Resplendent Quetzal, a bird well known beyond its range, from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec on south to western Panama, including the cloud forests of Costa Rica.

As trogons go, this is perhaps the most spectacular one. While there are four other "quetzals" in the genus Pharomachrus, in South America, the Resplendent is not only the largest member in the whole order, but the males of this species are, well, for lack of a better word... resplendent. Christmas-colored with brilliant scarlet red below and rich iridescent greens above, the greens vary with lighting and angle offering strong cobalt or gold at times, sometimes even within seconds of each other. And this is to say nothing of the sumptuous green uppertail covert feathers which can reach 65 cm (29 in) in length. This species has produced many gasps and seen many jaws agog, and remains firmly rooted as a favorite quest bird for nature-lovers the world over.
 
The myths and legends surrounding it within meso-American cultures are as robust as the bird itself. No place is the quetzal more celebrated than Guatemala. Even in a country dappled with spectacular volcanoes, and birds ringed around them like Horned Guan, Pink-headed Warbler, and Azure-rumped Tanager, the quetzal stands out now, as it did in the day of the Aztec and the Maya. Associated with the snake-god Quetzalcoatl, and revered as "the god of the air" it was deemed a symbol of freedom, richness and good. It is celebrated as Guatemala's national bird, is featured on the coat of arms, and even the unit of currency is named for the quetzal. Despite the bird's fame there, probably more travelers see their first one in Costa Rica. There in the misty cloud forests that fringe the mountain peaks and páramo the quetzal is usually found sitting quietly between bouts of feeding, when it gobbles down wild avocados. Nesting in holes excavated in decomposing trees, the species is listed as globally near-threatened (by BirdLife International/IUCN), and this is surely a bird where were it not for its interest to bird-watchers, it and all of its neighbors might be considerably worse off. 
 
Perhaps not the most famous bird in the world, it is surely among its most magnificent, and very well celebrated. Yet, this is not the only quetzal species making waves these days. A couple of Eared Quetzals in Cochise county Arizona, and another in New Mexico have been among the biggest birding stories of 2020. Rockjumper leader Peter Kaestner, number 1 in the world in eBird species recorded (with over 9200 species entered), still needed this one and flew out for it a few weeks back. Even more recently, for eBird Global Big Day, Rockjumper leader Forrest Rowland tallied the bird for Team Rockjumper on October 17th. We were thrilled to be a part of the Global Bird Weekend, and if you haven't seen how we did, we strongly encourage you to take a look and see our results. It was fantastic to support BirdLife International with our effort and all the more so when you end up with a total like we did. 
 
Take a look on our blog here, and if you're considering a trip, contact us today. Bobby Wilcox is headed down to Costa Rica on Dec 4th for Cloud Forests & Quetzals, and there are actually a couple spots left on this guaranteed departure. For other year-end getaway opportunities such as Kenya, Ecuador and Colombia, be sure to take a look here.  

Be safe, keep birding, and stay in touch!
Best from Team Rockjumper