Golden-headed Quetzal

Pharomachrus auriceps (Gould, 1842)

Golden-headed Quetzal, Pharomachrus auriceps, is a trogon of moist mid-elevation forest from eastern Panama to northern Bolivia. It belongs to the family Trogonidae and was described by Gould in 1842. Its most notable feature is the golden head that gives the bird its name, set against the iridescent green typical of quetzals. The female is less vivid and shows more brown. It is a solitary bird outside the breeding period. During breeding, the pair uses a cavity in an old tree, and both adults share incubation and feeding until the young leave the nest.

Order

Trogoniformes

Family

Trogonidae — Trogons

Breeding range

Middle America, South America: e Panama to n Bolivia