ARTICLE
IN SEARCH OF THE QUETZAL
BY: JULIO A. LARRAMENDI
It is early in the morning of a spring day, as is almost everyone in Guatemala. We have arrived by an excellent road to the foothills of Alta Verapaz, one of the most important refuges of Central American nature. We visit a beautiful and well-kept orchid garden, where dozens of different plants bloom with flowers of incredible shapes and colors. A few years ago I published with Juanito Camacho the book Orquídeas de Cuba, and the explanations they gave us were understandable to me. On the Island we have a little more than 300 species… in Guatemala there are more than 1000; ours are small and of soft colors, there are big ones like those of the Pacific and of exuberant colors. The white nun, national flower of the Republic of Guatemala, stands out for its beauty and whiteness.
Already with several hundred photos in the camera's memory, we set off towards the main objective: the search for the quetzal.
In Cuba we have a good representation of native birds, some —such as the zunzuncito, the cartacuba and the tocororo—, true jewels of our avifauna. The tocororo, national bird, of the trogon family, is a close relative of the quetzal; smaller than the Central American, it presents the colors of our flag, it cannot live in captivity and it can be seen in any mountain on the Island.
The quetzal is more difficult to find. It lives in the cloudy forests, between 1,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level, in cool places and far from civilization, in an area that goes from the south of Mexico to the west of Panama, and includes the central zone of Guatemala, all of Honduras, the east of El Salvador, northern Nicaragua and central Costa Rica. With two recognized subspecies, the name comes from the Nahuatl quetzalli, "long tail with bright feathers", although there are those who translate it as "beautiful feather". It is the national bird of Guatemala, appears on the flag and the coat of arms, and gives its name to the currency of that country. In the pre-Columbian societies of Mesoamerica it was considered a divine bird, associated with Quetzalcóatl, the plumed serpent, and its feathers were used in the clothing of kings and priests.
At the beginning of the ascent, along a barely visible trail, a young man, almost a child, approaches to take my equipment. He embarrasses me, even though I know he does it out of necessity and will get paid for his efforts. On the other hand, I will not be able to carry the bulky backpack with cameras, lenses and some food, the huge tripod and the box with the 600mm telephoto, which weighs about 20 pounds. I hand him the latter and give him a shy smile. Without looking at me, he slings the bundle over his shoulder and begins the ascent.
After almost three hours of walking, bordering precipices and surrounded by wooded landscapes, the boy warns us that birds may appear at any moment.
We are going through a grove of tall, leafy trees, some full of dark, round fruits, when Ernesto, who is the name of the young porter and guide, stops and points to a nearby branch. There, in the shade and looking at us curiously, is the first quetzal I've ever seen. Almost a meter from the tip of the long tail feathers to the head, it shows various shades of iridescent green, a deep red on the chest and belly, bristling crest and yellow bill in the male, black in the female. Satisfied, he takes off in a slow, graceful flight.
Already in a clearing in the forest, a dead tree serves as a nest for a couple that has taken over an area of approximately 6 ha. They take turns caring for the nest, incubating the eggs, and feeding the young, which includes fruit, insects, lizards, and small frogs. A curiosity: the female neglects and often abandons the juvenile offspring, leaving the male with the task of caring for them until they are ready to fend for themselves.
For hours we observe and photograph their movements, hunting and gathering food. We are about 20 m away and they got used to our quiet presence.
Added to the threat of larger birds such as predators and mammals that feed on the quetzal's eggs and chicks is man, who hunts it for its feathers and degrades its natural environment. In Mexico it has been declared in danger of extinction. It has been an extraordinary experience to admire a unique species that must be preserved.
Already with several hundred photos in the camera's memory, we set off towards the main objective: the search for the quetzal.
In Cuba we have a good representation of native birds, some —such as the zunzuncito, the cartacuba and the tocororo—, true jewels of our avifauna. The tocororo, national bird, of the trogon family, is a close relative of the quetzal; smaller than the Central American, it presents the colors of our flag, it cannot live in captivity and it can be seen in any mountain on the Island.
The quetzal is more difficult to find. It lives in the cloudy forests, between 1,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level, in cool places and far from civilization, in an area that goes from the south of Mexico to the west of Panama, and includes the central zone of Guatemala, all of Honduras, the east of El Salvador, northern Nicaragua and central Costa Rica. With two recognized subspecies, the name comes from the Nahuatl quetzalli, "long tail with bright feathers", although there are those who translate it as "beautiful feather". It is the national bird of Guatemala, appears on the flag and the coat of arms, and gives its name to the currency of that country. In the pre-Columbian societies of Mesoamerica it was considered a divine bird, associated with Quetzalcóatl, the plumed serpent, and its feathers were used in the clothing of kings and priests.
At the beginning of the ascent, along a barely visible trail, a young man, almost a child, approaches to take my equipment. He embarrasses me, even though I know he does it out of necessity and will get paid for his efforts. On the other hand, I will not be able to carry the bulky backpack with cameras, lenses and some food, the huge tripod and the box with the 600mm telephoto, which weighs about 20 pounds. I hand him the latter and give him a shy smile. Without looking at me, he slings the bundle over his shoulder and begins the ascent.
After almost three hours of walking, bordering precipices and surrounded by wooded landscapes, the boy warns us that birds may appear at any moment.
We are going through a grove of tall, leafy trees, some full of dark, round fruits, when Ernesto, who is the name of the young porter and guide, stops and points to a nearby branch. There, in the shade and looking at us curiously, is the first quetzal I've ever seen. Almost a meter from the tip of the long tail feathers to the head, it shows various shades of iridescent green, a deep red on the chest and belly, bristling crest and yellow bill in the male, black in the female. Satisfied, he takes off in a slow, graceful flight.
Already in a clearing in the forest, a dead tree serves as a nest for a couple that has taken over an area of approximately 6 ha. They take turns caring for the nest, incubating the eggs, and feeding the young, which includes fruit, insects, lizards, and small frogs. A curiosity: the female neglects and often abandons the juvenile offspring, leaving the male with the task of caring for them until they are ready to fend for themselves.
For hours we observe and photograph their movements, hunting and gathering food. We are about 20 m away and they got used to our quiet presence.
Added to the threat of larger birds such as predators and mammals that feed on the quetzal's eggs and chicks is man, who hunts it for its feathers and degrades its natural environment. In Mexico it has been declared in danger of extinction. It has been an extraordinary experience to admire a unique species that must be preserved.
