Resplendent quetzal  (Pharomachrus mocinno)

Found throughout Central America from southern Mexico to Panama, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua (5). Two subspecies are recognized, with distinct distributions. P. m. mocinno occurs in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, eastern El Salvador and north-central Nicaragua, while P. m. costaricensis occurs in Costa Rica and the west highlands of Panama (2).

Found in the canopy and sub-canopy of undisturbed humid montane cloud forest, thickly vegetated ravines and cliffs, and pastures at forest edges (2) (10). High mountain ranges (900 – 3,200 m) that are cool are often favoured (2) (5). The nest is a deep, unlined excavated cavity with a single entrance in a decaying tree trunk or stump, or occasionally enlarged from an old existing woodpecker's hollow (5). In Costa Rica, altitudinal migrations have been recorded, in which the bird moves to lower elevations in the non-breeding season (10).