Quetzal Bird Considered Sacred By The Mayan

Beautiful fluffy bird called the Quetzal (just like the name of the Guatemalan currency), it is considered a valuable sacred by the Mayans and Guatemala. Birds that many live in the tropical rain forest is believed to have a direct relationship with the Gods, as seen in the reliefs on the temple or sacred Mayan temple, kind of Kukulkan temple. In fact, each sub from the Maya had a different title for this bird. However, each name has the same meaning, which symbolizes nature always be one with nature (nature).

Quetzals are strikingly colored birds in the trogon family. They are found in forests and woodlands, especially in humid highlands, with the five species from the genus Pharomachrus being exclusively Neotropical, while the single Euptilotis species is almost entirely restricted to western Mexico also in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. They are fairly large (all over 32 cm or 13 inches long), slightly bigger than other trogon species. Quetzals have iridescent green or golden-green wing coverts, back, chest and head, with a red belly. They are stronglysexually dimorphic, and parts of the females' plumage are brown or grey. These largely solitary birds feed on fruits, berries, insects and small vertebrates (such as frogs). Despite their bright plumage, they can be surprisingly difficult to see in their wooded habitats.

The name "quetzal" is from Nahuatl quetzalli, "large brilliant tail feather" (American Heritage Dictionary) or "tail coverts of the quetzal" (Merriam�Webster's Collegiate Dictionary), from the Nahuatl root quetz "stand up" used to refer to an upstanding plume of feathers.

The word "quetzal" was originally used for just the Resplendent Quetzal, the famous long-tailed quetzal of Central America, which is thenational bird and the name of the currency of Guatemala. It still often refers to that bird specifically but now also names all the species of the genera Pharomachrus and Euptilotis.

Pharomachrus is from Ancient Greek pharos, "mantle", and makros, "long", referring to the wing and tail coverts of the Resplendent Quetzal (the second h is unexplained).

Although they have had to exchange for some gold, but it's been thousands of years, for generations the people of Guatemala and the Maya, revere and preserve this bird. The problem with maintaining good Quetzal bird, the Maya believed the gods will also continue to protect their lives.