Crested Quetzal
Pharomachrus antisianus
Large trogon, shimmering emerald above with red belly. Male has a puffy tuft of feathers protruding from the forehead and clean white undertail which helps distinguish from similar Golden-headed Quetzal. Female has a brown head and mostly brown belly with a limited amount of green on the chest and red undertail coverts and lower belly. In all plumages, note red eye. Uncommon in subtropical forests and edges, often at slightly lower elevations than Golden-headed, but plenty of overlap. Tends to perch stolidly in the subcanopy and can be difficult to spot. Most often seen in the vicinity of a fruiting tree, singly or in pairs, although sometimes several birds can gather at a food source. Listen for mournful whistled song: “whoo, whoop,” given in widely spaced pairs, with emphasis on second note.
Identification
Adult birds are .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}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.
Taxonomy
French naturalist Alcide d'Orbigny described the crested quetzal in 1837 as Trogon antisianus. The species name is derived from Antis, a Latinised version of the Andes, ultimately from anti, an Incan word for copper. It is closely related to the resplendent quetzal (P. mocinno).<p>It is one of five species of the genus Pharomachrus known as quetzals. The term "quetzal" was originally used for just the resplendent quetzal, but is now applied to all members of the genera Pharomachrus and Euptilotis.
- Scientific name
- Pharomachrus antisianus
- Authority
- (d'Orbigny, 1837)
- Order
- Trogoniformes
- Family
- Trogonidae
- Genus
- Pharomachrus
Range and habitat
The crested quetzal is found along the Andes from Bolivia through Ecuador, Peru and Colombia to Venezuela, in pristine and mature second-growth forest from 1,200–3,000 m (4,000–10,000 ft) in altitude. It has been rated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as it has a large range and its population appears to be stable.
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Short-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus striatus
Glossy drongo of the eastern Visayas and Mindanao. Note the blue iridescence on the wings and neck, as well as the relatively weakly forked tail. Similar to Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo, but note present species’ much heavier bill. A vocal inhabitant of forested habitats, often foraging actively from exposed perches, sometimes in pairs or small groups. Vibrant song consists of clicks, whistles, warbles, harsh grating notes, and mimicry.
Bare-faced Curassow
Crax fasciolata
Very large terrestrial species. Males are mostly black with a curly crest and a white belly and vent. Note the yellow knob on a black-tipped bill. Females are barred black and white above and have a buffy belly and vent, a black bill with some yellow at the base of the lower bill. Usually found in humid forests and gallery forests foraging singly or in pairs; can be very tame. Commonest call is a high-pitched whistled “kseuw.”
Wood Warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Small warbler with subtly distinctive plumage: muted lime green above, silky white below, with a pale yellow throat and yellow eyebrows. Favors shady deciduous and mixed woods for breeding, especially areas with beech and oak. Often rather inconspicuous, feeding high in leafy canopy, but can be located by distinctive, ringing song. Slightly larger and longer-winged than Willow Warbler. Occupies a range of wooded and brushy habitats in non-breeding range, from moist forests to dry wooded savannas.
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