Quetzal ("Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary"), from the Nahuatl root = "stand up" used to refer to an upstanding plume of feathers. The word entered English through Spanish. The word "quetzal" was originally used for just the resplendent quetzal, the long-tailed quetzal of Guatemala, (more specifically a town called Petén) which is the national bird and the name of the currency of Guatemala. It still often refers to that bird specifically but now also names all the species of the genera "Pharomachrus" and "Euptilotis". "Pharomachrus" is from Ancient Greek , "mantle", and , "long", referring to the wing and tail coverts of the
Golden-headed quetzal in reference to the impressive tail of the resplendent quetzal. Two subspecies are recognized, "P. a. auriceps" (Gould, 1842) and "P. a. hargitti" (Oustalet, 1891). The species name, "auriceps", comes from Latin "aurum" meaning "gold" and "ceps" meaning "crowned" or "headed", in reference to the golden head of "Pharomachrus auriceps." 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