The crimson and emerald-colored quetzal lives in the tropical rainforests of Central America.
It is the national bird of Guatemala and provides the name for its unit of currency.
The Mayas and the Aztecs used the quetzal's tail plumes in their ceremonies and worshipped the bird as god of the air.
They linked the quetzal with the serpent god Quetzalcoatl, god of civilization.
The quetzal prefers to eat the fruit of Ocotea, a member of the laurel family. It swallows the fruit whole, and later regurgitates the stone. The quetzal also eats small snails, frogs and lizards.
The quetzal is a member of the trogon family. Trogons can be found in tropical rainforests throughout the world.
They live in the lower levels of the canopy.
Trogons are about a foot long. Male trogons have soft breast feathers of red, orange or yellow, and back and wing feathers of metallic green or bronze.
The females' plumage lacks the brightness and flamboyance of the males'.
Trogons nest in tree cavities, often using holes that were already made by wasps or ants. They lay two or three eggs at a time.