Resplendent quetzal  (Pharomachrus mocinno)

The resplendent quetzal has declined significantly due to destruction of its cloud-forest habitat for subsistence agriculture, and hunting for food and trade (5) (7). It has long been thought that the quetzal does not fair well in captivity, and its inability to be caged has led it to become a symbol of liberty. As such, Guatemala has adopted the species as its national bird, with the species appearing on the coat of arms of the country, on the flag and postage stamps, and quetzal is even the name of the currency (5). Despite its revered status, however, the bird has suffered particularly badly in war-torn Guatemala due to widespread forest clearance for coffee plantations between 1880 – 1930, and hunting for its plumes (2) (7).

The resplendent quetzal is legally protected in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama, but enforcement in remote areas is extremely difficult and poaching evidently continues (5). The species occurs in numerous protected areas across its range. In particular, Costa Rica has made great efforts to preserve the endangered bird through setting up an extensive system of national parks and wildlife reserves, resulting in a highly successful and lucrative eco-tourism business (7). However, the main problem for the Monteverde population in Costa Rica is that its seasonal migratory behaviour between higher and lower altitudes has complicated the conservation of the species (8). Only the habitat in which the bird breeds is protected within the confines of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, while the feeding ground to which it descends in the non-breeding season is on private land, and forests here are becoming increasingly fragmented (8) (10). Thus, there is presently an initiative underway, spearheaded by the Monteverde Conservation League, to persuade landholders to conserve parts of their land for this and other native fauna. Having been regarded with awe for centuries by a variety of cultures, the resplendent quetzal is now becoming increasingly vulnerable to extinction, and it is the collective responsibility of all its range nations to ensure that effective conservation measures are made now, so that this exquisite species and cultural icon may endure for many more centuries to come (8).