BeakBrain
Menu
Bird GuideDaily BirdCamsTripsCommunityGet the app

Crested Quetzal

Pharomachrus antisianus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernFruitForestCavity nestMedium · 152 g
Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus), photo 1
Photo: Eric Gropp · CC BY 2.0
Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus), photo 2
Photo: Don Henise · CC BY 2.0
Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus), photo 3
Photo: RJ Baltierra · CC BY 4.0
Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus), photo 4
Photo: Attila Oláh · CC BY 4.0
Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus), photo 5
Photo: Attila Oláh · CC BY 4.0
Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus), photo 6
Photo: Alfredo F. Fuentes Claros · CC0
Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus), photo 7
Photo: avocat · CC BY 4.0
Crested Quetzal (Pharomachrus antisianus), photo 8
Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

What the Crested Quetzal sounds like

Sonogram of the Crested Quetzal: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, song · Zamora-Chinchipe: above 'Cabañas Yankuam' 2 km S Las Orchideas, Nangaritza Valley, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Crested Quetzal

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Crested Quetzal

Regular range

The map shades 5 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Ecuador Colombia Peru Bolivia Venezuela

About the Crested Quetzal

The crested quetzal is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae native to South America, where it is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

White-tipped Quetzal (Pharomachrus fulgidus) White-tipped QuetzalPharomachrus fulgidusVoice: Hilty and colleagues (1986) describe the voice as a loud kirra, or kirra, kip, and when excited kier, kip-kip-kip-a. Pavonine Quetzal (Pharomachrus pavoninus) Pavonine QuetzalPharomachrus pavoninusLike many other quetzals, pavonine quetzals are fairly brilliantly coloured, exhibiting some sexual dichromatism, with the females being noticeable duller than the males. Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) Resplendent QuetzalPharomachrus mocinnoThe resplendent quetzal is the largest trogon.

Side by side: Crested Quetzal vs Golden-headed Quetzal · Crested Quetzal vs Resplendent Quetzal · Crested Quetzal vs White-tipped Quetzal

Learn the Crested Quetzal in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.