Bird Guide

Crested Quetzal vs Golden-headed Quetzal

Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus)

Crested Quetzal

Pharomachrus antisianus

Medium152 gForest

Adult birds are 33–34 cm (13–13+1⁄2 in) long. The head and upperparts of the adult male are metallic green, while its breast and belly are red. Alone among the quetzals, the male has a short crest above its short bill, which is orange. The vent is white. Females have brown heads and upper breast and no crest.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Crested Quetzal
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, song · Zamora-Chinchipe: above 'Cabañas Yankuam' 2 km S Las Orchideas, Nangaritza Valley, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Eric Gropp · CC BY 2.0
Golden-headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps)

Golden-headed Quetzal

Pharomachrus auriceps

Medium180 gForest

The golden-headed quetzal weighs between 154-182g. It has a wingspan of 30–36 cm and a length of 33–36 cm with tail plumes adding another 8–10 cm. Like other members of the genus Pharomachrus, the golden-headed quetzal is known for its iridescent golden-green wings and breast, which can appear blue depending on the light. The female's breast is a duller brownish colour; her head is also a duller golden-brown when compared to the male's gold-bronze head, from which the species name is derived. Their bills are short and broad; they appear yellow in males and a brownish greyish in females. Voice: The golden-headed quetzal is a quiet bird, often sitting quietly motionless for long periods of time. When it does vocalize, its far-carrying call is very distinctive, sounding like mournful, hawk-like whistles, repeated 6-8 times ("whe-wheeu, whe-wheuu, whe-wheeu…"). Its other calls are a horse-like whinnying ("why-dy-dy-dy-dyyrrr", "hoo-whoooooy") and a throaty melancholy "ka-kaaaur".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Golden-headed Quetzal
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, flight call · Zamora-Chinchipe: Reserva Tapichalaca, near Q. Cristopher Parson, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Joao Quental from Rio de Janeiro, Brasil · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Crested Quetzal and Golden-headed Quetzal.