North American quetzal (SciiFii)

The North American quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno americanum) is a subspecies of resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across North America and northern Central America to help boost biodiversity. As with other resplendent quetzal subspecies, the North American quetzal is the largest representative of the trogon order, measuring 36 to 40 centimeters (14–16 inches) long; the tail streamers measures between 31 centimeters (12 inches) and 100.5 centimeters (39.6 inches), with the average being 75 centimeters (30 inches) of tail streamer for the male, and weighs about 210 grams (7.4 oz). North American quetzals have a green body (showing iridescence from green-gold to blue-violet) and red breast. Depending on the light, North American quetzal feathers can shine in a variant of colors: green, cobalt, lime, yellow, to ultramarine. Their green upper tail coverts hide their tails and in breeding males are particularly splendid, being longer than the rest of the body. Though North American quetzal plumages appear green, they are actually brown due to the melanin pigment. The primary wing coverts are also unusually long and give a fringed appearance. The male has a helmet-like crest. The bill, which is partly covered by green filamentous feathers, is yellow in mature males and black in females. Their iridescent feathers, which causes them to appear shiny and green like the canopy leaves, are a camouflage adaptation to hide within the canopy during rainy weather. The skin of the North American quetzal is thicker than most other resplendent quetzal subspecies, so it is not easily torn, so it can easily adapt to a wider range of forest habitats than most subspecies of resplendent quetzals. Like other members of the trogon family, it has large eyes that adapt easily to the dim light of its forest home. The "song" is a treble syllable described as kyow or like "a whimpering pup", often in pairs, which may be repeated monotonously. North American quetzals have other unmusical calls as well. Like other resplendent quetzal subspecies, North American quetzals are weak fliers. North American quetzals are mainly fruit-eaters, although they mix their diet with insects (including wasps, hornets, ants, termites, and larvae), frogs and lizards. Particularly important are wild avocados and other fruit of the laurel family (which has expanded their natural range to throughout Central America and North America due to North American quetzals feasting on the plants' pits), which the birds swallow whole before regurgitating the pits, which helps to disperse these trees. North American quetzals feed more frequently in the midday hours. The adults eat a more fruit-based diet than the chicks, who eat primarily insects and some fruits. Over fifty percent of the fruit they eat come from the family Lauraceae. North American quetzals use the methods of "hovering" and "stalling" in order to selectively pick the fruit near the tips of the branches. North American quetzals create their nests over 70-200 feet up in the air and court in the air with specific calls. Six specific vocal calls have been recorded: the two-note whistle, gee-gee, wahc-ah-wahc, wec-wec, coouee whistle, uwac, chatter, and buzzing. The first call is related to male territorial behavior, while the coouee whistle is identified as a mating call. North American quetzals usually live alone when not breeding. They are monogamous territorial breeders, with the territory size being measured as 6–10 ha (15–25 acres). They are also seasonal breeders, with the breeding season being March to May. When breeding, females lay two pale blue eggs in a nest placed either in a hole which they carve in a rotten tree or in tree cavities made by other birds. North American quetzals tend to lay three to four clutches per year. Both parents take turns at incubating, with their long tail-covert feathers folded forwards over the back and out of the hole, where they tend to look like a bunch of fern growing out of the hole. The incubation period lasts about 18 days, during which the male generally incubates the eggs during the day while the female incubates them at night. When the eggs hatch, both parents take care of the young, feeding them fruit, berries, insects, lizards, and small frogs. However, the female often neglects and even abandons the young near the end of the rearing period, leaving it up to the male to continue caring for the offspring until they are ready to survive on their own. During the incubation period, when a parent approaches the nest hole, they land and rotate their head side to side before entering, otherwise known as "bowing in". This process ends when the chicks hatch. Young North American quetzals begin flying after three weeks old but for the males, their distinctive long tail feathers take three years to develop. The conservation status of the North American quetzal is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the North American quetzal's wide range and, unlike most other resplendent quetzal subspecies, its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii