The Resplendent Quetzal is Guatemala’s national bird, and can be found on almost anything Guatemalan related: the flag, souvenirs, artwork, welcome signs, and even their money shares the bird’s name. And for good reason, the quetzal is one of the most beautiful birds in this region.
The legend of the Resplendent Quetzal
The legend of the Resplendent Quetzal comes from the legend of Tecún Umán, the last K’iche’ Maya prince who fought against the Spanish. Tecún led his warriors into battle to protect his land against the Spanish conquistadors who were led by Pedro de Alvarado.
According to the story, the Maya warriors had not seen horses before and therefore did not know that the horse and the man were different creatures. They initially believed if they killed the horse, the creature as a whole would die. Because of this, Tecún did not realise after killing Alvarado’s horse that the man was still a threat, and Alvarado impaled his spear into Tecún’s heart.
As Tecún lay dying, a quetzal (his nahual/spirit guide) flew down and landed on his chest, absorbing his blood. This is believed to be why the Resplendent Quetzal has the vivid scarlet chest feathers.
It is also said that since the Spanish invasion, the quetzal has become silent and refuses to sing. Only when Guatemala is truly free will the quetzal sing it’s old beautiful tune again.
The feathers of the quetzal are the most impressive part of the bird. The male’s tale can grow to a meter long. The Mayas of the ruling class used their feathers as decoration in their diadems (headdresses), and because of the feather’s high value, they were used as currency. This is why the Guatemalan currency is called the quetzal to this day. Because these birds were considered sacred to the Maya and Aztec, they were captured, deplumed of their longest tail feathers but then let go.
The Quetzal in the present day
When held in captivity, the quetzal dies shortly after being caged. Biologists now know that is due to its high sensitivity to iron, however it has long been interpreted differently by the Guatemalan people. The quetzal is seen as a Guatemalan symbol of liberty, and the lyric “Antes muerto que esclavo será” (Will be rather dead than a slave) in their National Anthem is a reflection of this sentiment.
The Resplendent Quetzal is at risk of extinction due to habitat destruction and climate change. Deforestation plays a huge role, especially as the cloud forests in which they live are being cleared for agricultural practices. The quetzal typically only lays two eggs a year, during the breeding season of March to May. This low reproduction rate and the affect of habitat loss and climate change means that it is now classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
I always knew the Resplendent Quetzal was going to be my magnum opus of bird findings. I spent two months learning Spanish and living and working with Maya people in Guatemala when I was 21, so this country and the symbolism of the quetzal has had a special place in my heart.
When I started noticing birds in 2022 and getting into bird watching, I had in the back of my mind that I would one day go on a quetz (hehe) to see a quetzal.
My Quest
April 2025, I’m finally back in Guatemala, and was planning my route. Each local I spoke to who had seen one would recommend that I visit a national park called the Biotopo del Quetzal in Alta Verapaz. It is in between the popular tourist locations of Semuc Champey and Antigua. Perfect!
I ended up booking accommodation with a place just up the road called Ranchitos del Quetzal which is a private accommodation and nature reserve which had good reviews for the accommodation. They also have a walking track and waterfalls at the back of the property. Many reviewers said that they didn’t get to see a quetzal on their visit, so I was a bit nervous.
But I was not going to let that risk stop me from trying, and at the very least visiting this less visited part of Guatemala.
Day 1 – Afternoon
I arrived at Ranchitos del Quetzal and found out the best time to see a quetzal was before sunrise (this is probably why day visitors didn’t have much luck). There was another solo-traveller from the US who was only staying the one night so we decided to do the early morning tour together (Q300 between the two of us).
That afternoon the two of us went for a walk along the trail, to the river and pools and back through the cloud forest. Right as we turned our eBird on, we saw the Unicoloured Jay. We took the path slowly, stopping and starting. Because of the rain, the river and some loud trucks going past, MerlinID was having trouble with the sound ID, so we mostly listened, searched (without much luck) and took pictures of the trees. The clouds made for some absolutely stunning photos.
We were able to see a Common Chlorospingus and a male Slate-throated Redstart. We could hear many others like the Slate-colored Solitaire, Brown-capped Vireo and the Yellow Breasted Nightingale Thrush but could not find them in the canopy (I blame the rain). Once we returned to the reception for dinner, we saw a Violet Sabrewing around the flowers.
Day 2 – Early Morning
The next morning we were up for an early start – meet at reception for 5:30am. Our little group was our guide, Amilcar, the American girl I met the day before, and another woman from Chile.
Our first bird sighting happened at 5:32am – two Highland Guan flew into the trees above us with their red throats and loud whistles. After a few minutes of waiting around, we made our way to a birding lookout. We were surrounded by Unicoloured Jays and even got to see them feeding three babies in a nest.
And then it happened. Amilcar gasped, “Quetzal! Quetzal!” And there it was. The most beautiful male Resplendent Quetzal perched in the branches of the Guraumo Tree, not 10m from us. The colours weren’t obvious due to the lack of light but its long plumed tail, floated down. It was shortly joined by a female quetzal and they called to each other.
By this point I had tears in my eyes. I was absolutely ecstatic. This was the one thing I had to do before leaving Guatemala, and now I could travel the rest of the country with a full heart and a huge grin on my face.
Of course we saw other birds during the tour. While still in the birding tower we saw:
- A Northern Emerald-Toucanet
- Many Common Chlorospingus
- Blue-crowned Chlorophonias
- A Flame-coloured Tanager
- Shining Honeycreepers
- Violet Sabrewings
- Green-throated Mountain-gems
- Black-throated Green Warblers
- A Wilson’s Warbler
The rest of the tour took place in a bird hide and on the same trail through the cloud forest that we’d done the previous afternoon. We saw:
- More Violet Sabrewings
- A Swainson’s Thrush
- Slate-throated Redstarts
- A Guatemalan Tyrannulet
- A Yellowish Flycatcher
- Bright-rumped Attilas
- A Collared Trogon
- A group of Northern Emerald-Toucanets
- And another Highland Guan
Feeling so elated with our success (and starving after the 4 hour bird tour), we sat down and ordered breakfast. Within 10 minutes Amilcar was calling out to us again and we all sprinted downstairs and followed him back up the path to where one of the maintenance staff had spotted another male quetzal. This time the sun was out and we could see its electric green and bright red colours. Staff and other people on tours came running and we all stared at the beautiful bird while it ate (and posed for us).
Because of my success the first day at where I was staying, I decided I would skip making my way to the Biotopo del Quetzal the following morning and just spend the second morning at Ranchitos.
Day 3 – Early Morning
The next morning I was up and outside for 5:15am, determined not to miss out on seeing another sweet quetzal before I left. There were another two women up at that time, one of which was doing the tour, and Amilcar.
At the same time as yesterday, a Highland Guan flew into the same tree, followed by the activity of Unicoloured Jays flittering about and a Northern Emerald-Toucanet. One of the women left with Amilcar to do the rest of the tour, the other went back to sleep and I sat waiting and waiting, but there was no quetzal in sight.
The woman returned from her tour and was a bit disappointed that she had not seen a quetzal. We ordered breakfast and chatted for a bit. But the moment that the staff placed her breakfast on the table, a quetzal was sighted by the staff, and we were running downstairs and up the path to the orchid garden. High above us in the trees was a beautiful male quetzal and we watched (and followed it) as it flew from tree to tree until it disappeared back up into the hills.
How you can see a Quetzal in Guatemala
Going to Ranchitos del Quetzal was the most incredible and valuable side quest. Getting yourself to Alta Verapaz to see the quetzal must be on your to-do list whether you’re a birder, nature lover or even just looking for the most spectacular story to tell your family when you get home.
Staying at Ranchitos del Quetzal
The rooms at Ranchitos del Quetzal each come with two double beds and a trundle, but you pay based on how many people you are: Q250 for 1 person, Q450 for 2 people, Q550 for 3 people.
The accommodation includes breakfast, and dinner is available for approx Q45 a plate.
There are two offered tours: the bird tour (at 5:30am) and the nocturnal tour (at 7pm). The nocturnal tour looks for salamanders, snakes, frogs, coatís and other nighttime creatures. Both tours cost Q300 for 1-4 people, and additional people cost Q100 per person.
It is worth noting that the tours are in Spanish, so if you need a translator, organise it beforehand. If you don’t want to fork out more money but only speak English, it is still worth doing the tour with the staff. They can identify all the bird calls, locate them and know all the names in English. They also take beautiful photos and videos that they share with you afterwards.
Getting there from Semuc Champey / Lanquín
From Semuc Champey/Lanquín I caught public transport, which was easy and cost me Q85 in total:
- Tuk tuk from Semuc Champey to Lanquín – Q25
- Bus from Lanquín to Cobán bus terminal – Q30
- Bus from Cobán to Ranchitos del Quetzal – Q30
- I took the Monja Blanca bus company heading towards Purulhá.
- Be clear you’re going to Ranchitos del Quetzal, not Purulhá or the Biotopo (as I did and had to call out ¡dejame áca!)
- It’s always a good idea to have your maps open as you’re getting close so you can see when to get ready to jump off. The ayudante would know where your stop is but it’s best to be prepared.
Another option is to organise with one of the shuttle companies as the route between Semuc Champey and Antigua passes Ranchitos del Quetzal. It’s likely that they’ll charge Q100-200.
Getting there from Antigua / Guatemala City
I did the Antigua to Ranchitos trip in reverse and opted for the direct shuttle as the weather was poor and I didn’t have a waterproof cover for my backpack (which gets put on the roof). The company I used was Coban Travels and I paid Q200.
For public transport (information I can find online and from staff here):
- Antigua’s Mercado Central to El Trebol bus terminal in Guatemala City – Q15
- Guatemala City to Ranchitos del Quetzal – Q125-150
- The company Monja Blanca is a good option as it is well respected and the buses very between minibuses and larger transport buses (like ADO in Mexico).