Quetzal resplendent quetzal (the second "h" is unexplained). The quetzal is also known in Spanish as the . Genus "Pharomachrus": Genus "Euptilotis": Quetzal Quetzals () are strikingly colored birds in the trogon family. They are found in forests, especially in humid highlands, with the five species from the genus "Pharomachrus" being exclusively Neotropical, while a single species, the eared quetzal, "Euptilotis neoxenus", is found in Mexico and very locally in the southernmost United States. Quetzals are fairly large (all over 32 cm or 13 inches long), slightly bigger than other trogon species. The quetzal is the country bird of Guatemala. Quetzals
Resplendent quetzal viewed the quetzal symbolizing freedom and wealth, due to their view of quetzals dying in captivity and the value of their feathers, respectively. Mesoamerican rulers and some nobility of other ranks wore headdresses made from quetzal feathers, symbolically connecting them to Quetzalcoatl. Since it was a crime to kill a quetzal, the bird was simply captured, its long tail feathers plucked, and was set free. In several Mesoamerican languages, the term for "quetzal" can also mean "precious", "sacred", or "erected". Until recently, it was thought that the resplendent quetzal could not be bred or held for any long time in