HistoryGal
source of the photo above: https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/animaux/biodiversite/diaporama-12-des-plus-belles-photos-du-concours-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year_117025/quetzal_1
Good morning to all. I searched high and low for an original French name starting with the letter Q for an animal and could not find one. So here I am presenting the « Quetzal » bird known by that name in French and English.
The name Quetzal encompasses several different birds from the neo-tropical region of Central America. The beautiful Quetzal has green and blue feathers. The male has very long caudal feathers (up to one meter or 3.2 feet long) and a crest. The female does not have a long tail or the red crested chest.
An interesting side note of this gorgeous bird is that its name comes from the « nahuatl » language of Central America. Its original name in nahuatl is « Quetzalli ». The word « Quetzal » is also present in the ancient Mexican god’s name « Quetzalcoatl » which means « feathered snake » or « quetzal snake ». For the Mayas and the Aztecs, the « Quetzal » was a sacred bird whose feathers were held in high praise and esteem. Even during pre-colombian times, the « Quetzal » was raised in captivity and its feathers used for hats, robes and crowns. Today, the national symbol of Guatemala is the « Quetzal ».
<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-snax-placeholder="Source" class="snax-figure-source" href="https://www.diconimoz.com/2015/09/11/la-fiche-du-jour-le-quetzal-resplendissant/" target="_blank">https://www.diconimoz.com/2015/09/11/la-fiche-du-jour-le-quetzal-resplendissant/</a>
The « Quetzal » is mostly a fruit eating bird but will also eat small insects and vertebrae animals.
With his feathers and brilliant coloring, the « Quetzal » is an absolute delightful bird who knows how to engage its female counterparts during reproduction season.
That is about all I have to say about the « Quetzal » bird of Central America. See you soon with the letter R.
What a strange and beautiful bird. I would very much like to see her live. Thank you so much for sharing the information
You and I both Vidocka. It is quite the beautiful bird. Thanks for viewing and commenting and up voting.
what a great share in your fantastic series (a view of the alphabet globally)!
The legends around this bird are ones I have spent hours chasing!
Yes I am sure there are several legends on this bird and the serpent kings. I wish I knew them all. Thanks for your enthusiastic comment and up vote.
A very interesting name for a very lovely bird,
Yes it sure is a lovely bird but I still do not exactly know its relation with the Quetzal serpent kings except for his plumage. Thanks a lot for dropping in and commenting and up voting.
That’s a very beautiful and charming bird! I wish I could see the bird around me.
So do I Albert. It is a stunning bird. I just love it’s long flowing tail feathers. Thanks for reading and commenting and up voting.
What? Haven’t you ever seen that bird directly?
No Albert I live in Canada and have never traveled south of the border so I have never seen that bird straight in front of me. I wish I could though…
Aha… Maybe we should make a deal to see the bird together.?
It looks cool bird, thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.
I totally agree Fortune. It is a gorgeous bird even prettier than others such as perroquet etc… It is too bad it is only seen and actually lives in Mexico and just below… Thanks for viewing and commenting and up voting.
WOW! I would love to see one in person! What a magnificent bird you have shared.
Yes it is absolutely colourful and stunning isn’t It? Thanks for viewing and your enthusiastic comment and up vote.
What an amazing and colorful bird! I don’t think I have heard it before.
I remember vaguely hearing about the Querzal snake kings but I did not know they were based on a bird. I will probably never see that bird in person as I reside in Canada but I am happy to present it here. Thanks for dropping in and commenting and up voting…
We have learnt about Quetzalcoatl is Spanish classes, but the bird name is definitely new to me so thanks for educating me once again! 🙂