Pharomachrus auriceps
| Golden-headed quetzal | |
|---|---|
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| male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Trogoniformes |
| Family: | Trogonidae |
| Genus: | Pharomachrus |
| Species: | P. auriceps |
| Binomial name | |
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Pharomachrus auriceps (Gould, 1842) |
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The golden-headed quetzal (Pharomachrus auriceps) is a strikingly coloured bird in the genus Pharomachrus; it is also referred to as Trogon auriceps. It is found in moist mid-elevation forests from eastern Panama to northern Bolivia.
The golden-headed quetzal is known for its iridescent green colour, which it shares with other quetzals, and its distinctive golden head. The female of the species is less brightly coloured, displaying more brown tones than the male. The golden-headed quetzal’s diet consists mainly of fruit, and occasionally insects. It is generally a solitary and quiet bird unless it is breeding season, when the male and female become a monogamous pair and create a cavity nest in an old tree. During breeding season both sexes share brooding and feeding duties for 25–30 days until the chick is ready to fledge. The golden-headed quetzal is fairly common and considered a species of least concern.
The golden-headed quetzal was first described by John Gould in the 2nd edition of A Monograph of the Trogonidae or family of Trogons published in 1875. It is one of five birds in the genus Pharomachrus, known as quetzals, and is included in the family Trogonidae, which is made up of birds found in tropical rainforests worldwide.
The word quetzal comes from the Nahuatl (or Aztec) word quetzalli (from the root quetz meaning "stand"), which translates to "long green plume" or "tail feather of the quetzal". Quetzal is usually specifically used to refer to the resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) first described by Pablo de la Llave in 1832 but in reality it applies to all members of the genera Pharomachrus and Euptilotis.
Pharomachrus, coined by Pablo de la Llave, stems from Ancient Greek pharos meaning "mantle" or "cloak" and makros meaning "long" in reference to the impressive tail of the resplendent quetzal.
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Wikipedia