The highly recognizable resplendent quetzal has a green body (iridescent from green-gold to blue-violet), long green tail and a red chest. Its feathers can shine in a variant of colors: green, cobalt, lime, yellow, to ultramarine. The male has a helmet-like crest extending to its narrow, sharp bill, giving its head a distinctive shape.
The resplendent quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala and is important to Mesoamerican mythology, being associated with the snake god Quetzalcoatl.
