Just returned from my second trip to Monteverde, Costa Rica where I went on a quest to photograph the Resplendent Quetzal. This was my second trip to Monteverde in search of this elusive and hard-to-photograph bird, but I’m thrilled to report that it was a successful mission. If you are a birder then the Resplendent Quetzal is a bird you’ll want to add to your life list.
Resplendent Quetzal
Is there really a bird worth traveling nearly 2000 miles for? Yes, there is. Bird watchers can find the beauty in any bird (even the annoying red winged black bird and the grackles) but there isn’t a person on the planet who could argue that the Resplendent Quetzal is one of the most beautiful birds in the world.
In ancient Maya and Aztec civilizations, the Resplendent Quetzal was considered to be the supreme symbol of sacred divinity, unyielding freedom, and an ecological wonder. The word quetzal translates to “precious” or “sacred”. The bird’s iridescent green tail feathers were only allowed to be worn by royalty and high priests.
Because the bird was holy, it was a crime punishable by death to kill one. Instead, hunters would carefully capture the bird, pluck its long tail feathers, and release it safely back into the wild.
A Symbol of Freedom
The Resplendent Quetzal is considered to be the ultimate symbol of freedom because until very recently (and only under highly controlled scientific circumstances) it was never successfully bred in captivity. According to legend, the bird will starve itself or die of a broken heart if caged. The fierce independence of the Resplendent Quetzal is why is was chosen as the national symbol of Guatemala and their currency is named after it.
I chose to travel to Monteverde, Costa Rica to see the Resplendent Quetzal because the misty cloud forests of this area are a safe haven for the bird and a place where they reproduce in the wild.
Resplendent Quetzal − Fun Facts
Despite their nearly neon green appearance, the bird’s coloring is an optical illusion (like hummingbirds). The feathers contain microscopic structures that refract the sunlight, casting a shifting, glowing iridescent green and gold color that perfectly camouflages the bird against wet, mossy trees.
I was incredibly lucky to get close enough to the Resplendent Quetzal at eye level on a relatively sunny day which allowed me to photograph those gorgeous colors. This bird is typically very high up in the canopy and it is extremely rare to see the coloration from that distance and angle. The video above was actually taken with my iPhone!
The Resplendent Quetzal primarily eats a type of wild avocado. They are smaller in size than your grocery store avocado (they look like a big kalamata olive). Who doesn’t love avocadoes?
The quetzal can swallow the large seeds whole, which means they are crucial at spreading those seeds throughout the forest when they come out the other side.
More Fun Facts
The 3-foot long tail feathers aren’t actually feathers
They are actually back feathers that grow long enough to protect the actual tail feathers.
Quetzals have heterodactyl feet
This means they have 2 toes that point backward and the rest forward. Their legs are weak so this helps with perching.
Cavity Dwellers
Surprisingly, the Resplendent Quetzal nests in hollowed out tree cavities. The males feathers can’t bend to accommodate front entry so the male has to enter the whole in reverse.
Highly Active Fathers
The males are very involved and help with incubating the eggs and typically sit during the day while the females get the night shift.
Ambush Eaters
They look prim and proper and may sit still for long periods of time but when the Resplendent Quetzal sees food, they are super quick to snatch it.
How I Got these Photos of the Resplendent Quetzal
You knew there had to be a good story behind these photos, right? Of course there is.
I went to Monteverde in September of 2024 only to find out that the birds migrate to lower elevations at that time of year. It isn’t impossible to spot one in the cloud forest in September, but the chances are really, really low. Who knew? Needless to say, I didn’t see one.
I planned to return earlier in the spring on my next trip, but my calendar was struggling to align (one has to work if one wants to play). I decided to go 3rd week of May and hope there were some late bloomers or stragglers still around.
I had 3 days to work with and good local guides (absolutely necessary). On Day 1, we heard a Resplendent Quetzal in the cloud forest. We chased the sounds, but it was super dark and drizzly and there would have been no chance of getting a photo. I saw it fly in front of me about 40 feet over my head but that was it.
Day 2 – Got a tip that there was a nest just off of a hanging bridge. Of course, because I hate heights and hanging bridges. But I knew that was my best chance.
I went, braved the highest and longest hanging bridge ever and found the nest. No birds. That’s okay, I’ll just wait…..
Rainforest = Rain
Then the skies opened up and it just POURED. I put my camera in my new totally waterproof backpack and just stuck it out. For an hour. But it was still POURING. The bridge was super slippery.
I wasn’t sure if I even wanted them to come back to the nest if I couldn’t pull my camera out.
After an hour solid of standing stone still in the pouring rain and no sign of it letting up, I gave up.
The Early Bird Gets the Worm. Or the Resplendent Quetzal.
I made arrangements with my hotel to go back to the bridge at 7am the next day. I figured that was my best shot. I ended up connecting with a lovely family from Denver the night before – I heard the husband asking the hotel concierge how to find a quetzal because his wife wanted to see one. The concierge gave them the standard answers.
I decided to go talk to them and share what I knew. That’s how it works in the birding world. We don’t hoard hard to find bird sightings – we pass it forward. I told the wife what my plan was for the next morning.
When I came down to catch my ride, the family was waiting and they came with me.
High School Boy Finds Quetzal?
We went out as a team onto this bridge. They family included a recent high-school graduate (boy). I’ll admit, I was a little bummed when I saw he showed up because I thought he would never sit still and it would be impossible to get good pictures (because hanging bridges bounce and swing). I was doubting whether my goodwill in sharing my secret was a good idea.
We arrived at the nest, it was empty. We waited. The family was awesome, super quiet and still. It took about 20 minutes and I heard the distinct call of the Quetzal.
It continued every few minutes for another ten minutes, but I could tell it was getting closer. I was glued to the bridge in front of the nest just praying the birds would land on nearby branches (which were blessedly out in the open) for a minute or two before one went into the nest.
High school boy starts getting impatient and walks back toward the center of the bridge.
I heard them call, very close this time.
And that’s when high school boy says, “Is that it?” and points to a branch level with the floor of the bridge.
I didn’t want to move. I was thinking if they were close, don’t get distracted now. If one goes in the nest, you can’t see it and it could be HOURS until it comes out.
Mom goes to see what high school boy is pointing at.
“OH MY GOD LOOK!”
So I had to look.
And there, perched less than 10 feet from the side of the bridge, on a wide open branch, uncluttered by any leaves or foliage, was the bird.
He was so close I couldn’t get focus with my 500mm lens. I had a moment of panic and took some pictures and video with my iPhone. Then I spent an excruciatingly long minute kneeling down on a swinging, bouncing, hanging bridge that is 400M off the rainforest floor, opening my backpack and carefully switching out for my shorter lens.
But the Resplendent Quetzal knew that I had come a very long way just to see him.
So he stayed. And he sang. For about 6 more minutes (and almost 1000 photos).
Then he moved to a new branch for another 6 minutes. This time he was so close I could have touched him.
Then he moved back toward the nest, and that’s when I saw the female. She gave us a short show then headed in to check on the kids.
She actually came back out a minute later and perched on a nearby branch. The male came over too but they were obscured and those photos were not as sharp.
Not gonna lie, tears were shed. The mom was crying too.
That is the true story of how I got the Resplendent Quetzal. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Later than day I reflected: What if I hadn’t overheard the Dad last night? What if I had just gone back to my room and not bothered to talk to them? If they had decided to sleep in? What if I had dug my heels in and not walked to see what the boy was pointing at?
There are no ordinary moments.
Visiting Monteverde − Hotel Belmar
During both of my visits to Monteverde, I stayed at family-owned and run Hotel Belmar. Perfect base to explore this area and one of the few hotels in the world I can honestly say I wanted to return to (so I did). If you are planning a trip to Monteverde (especially if you want to see the Resplendent Quetzal), read my detailed review of Hotel Belmar. It all started with their team of guides who called their friends and found out about that nest.
