Resplendent quetzal - the sacred bird of the Aztecs

in mountain forests from southern Mexico to Panama live poultry freedom - kvezali - national symbol of Guatemala, as well as the national symbol of freedom. In the days of the Aztec Empire and was considered sacred bird symbolized God vozduha.

People of that time used the long feathers nadhvostovye resplendent quetzal for various rituals. It is noteworthy that the Aztecs never killed birds deified: plucking feathers, were released into the wild. After the defeat of the empire in 1521 began to mercilessly destroy the resplendent quetzal, putting species under threat of extinction. Today the situation remains dismal, and added one more problem - the destruction of the only habitat - tropical lesov.

Experts do not manage to breed them in captivity as birds caught quickly perish. There is a rumor that once in the cell, torn from kvazalya serdtse.

View included in the Red Book of endangered zhivotnyh.









Source: supercoolpics.com/2013/08/01/%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C-%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%89%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F-%D0%BF%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0-%D0%B0%D1%86%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2-10-%D1%84%D0%BE/