Adult Male Resplendent Quetzal
Taken at the end of a long rainy day in the Costa Rican rainforest, but it was worth it.
The resplendent quetzal is of great importance to a number of South American cultures, being present in various legends and myths. It was considered divine and associated with Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent and god of life, light, knowledge and the winds, by pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations.
Its scintillating green tail feathers, symbolise spring plant growth, were venerated by the Aztec and Maya. Since the killing of quetzals was forbidden under the Mayas and Aztec criminal law, the bird was seized, its prolonged tail feathers deplumed, and was set loose (I'm not sure if they re-grow so feel sorry for the poor old male RQ).
In ancient Mayan culture, the quetzal feathers were considered so precious that they were even used as a medium of exchange. Thus the name of the Guatemala currency, the quetzal.
Thank you Wikipedia.
Adult Male Resplendent Quetzal
Taken at the end of a long rainy day in the Costa Rican rainforest, but it was worth it.
The resplendent quetzal is of great importance to a number of South American cultures, being present in various legends and myths. It was considered divine and associated with Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent and god of life, light, knowledge and the winds, by pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations.
Its scintillating green tail feathers, symbolise spring plant growth, were venerated by the Aztec and Maya. Since the killing of quetzals was forbidden under the Mayas and Aztec criminal law, the bird was seized, its prolonged tail feathers deplumed, and was set loose (I'm not sure if they re-grow so feel sorry for the poor old male RQ).
In ancient Mayan culture, the quetzal feathers were considered so precious that they were even used as a medium of exchange. Thus the name of the Guatemala currency, the quetzal.
Thank you Wikipedia.