Ketsal, Pharomachrus mocinno

Ketsal oma naljaka ning kirju välimusega sobib Munadepühadesse ja naljapäeva suurepäraselt. Fotod on tehtud Curi-cancha kaitsealal, Monteverde pilvemetsas, Costa Ricas.

Colourful and funny-looking Resplendent quetzal suits perfectly to Easter and April Fool's Day. The photos were taken in Curi-Cancha Reserve, Monteverde cloud forest, Costa Rica.

Ketsal, Pharomachrus mocinno

Kesk-Ameerika pärimuses on hundketsal püha lind, keda seostatakse nii Ussijumala kui ka Õhujumalaga. Linnu tapmine oli sellel ajal suur kuritegu, kuid kuna kunagised asteekide ja maiade ülikud "vajasid" oma peaehetesse uhkeid ketsali sabasulgi, siis linde siiski püüti, kuid pärast sabasulgede harvendamist lasti jälle lahti. Tänapäeval harvendatakse aga metsasid, mistõttu on ketsal sattunud Punases Raamatus ohulähedasse kategooriasse. Kohata võib teda (väga suure vedamise korral) Kesk-Ameerika mägistes pilvemetsades. Fotod tehtud Curi-cancha kaitsealal, Monteverde pilvemetsas, Costa Ricas.

In Central American folklore Resplendent Quetzal is a holy bird that is associated with the snake god and also god of the air. Killing of this bird was a serious crime back then but as the nobility of the ancient Aztecs and Maya "needed" its tail feathers for their headdresses, quetzals were captured, their tails "harvested" and then set free again. Nowadays are the forests that are harvested and this is the reason why resplendent quetzal is classified as near threatened on the Red List. You can find it (if you are really lucky) in the montane cloud forests of Central America. The photos are taken in Curi-Cancha Reserve, Monteverde cloud forest, Costa Rica.

Ketsal, Pharomachrus mocinno

Pikasabaline hundketsal on äärmiselt fotogeeniline tegelane. Minul õnnestus see Mesoameerika põlisrahvaste püha lind kaamera ette saada Curi-cancha kaitsealal, Monteverde pilvemetsas, Costa Ricas. 

Long-tailed Resplendent quetzal is extremely photogenic character. I was lucky to take a photo of this holy bird of the Mesoamerican native people in Curi-Cancha Reserve, Monteverde cloud forest, Costa Rica.

Hundketsal, Pharomachrus mocinno

Hundketsali uhke saba ja samas veidi kummalise välimusega isaslind Curi-cancha kaitsealal, Monteverde pilvemetsas, Costa Ricas.

Long-tailed but rather strange-looking male bird of the Resplendent Quetzal in Curi-Cancha Reserve, Monteverde cloud forest, Costa Rica.

Ketsal, Pharomachrus mocinno

"Quetzali" tähendab nahuatli keeles sulgi ning see pilt näitab väga hästi, miks lind sellise nime on saanud. Maiadel olid ketsali suled kõvaks valuutaks, millest tulenevalt on ka tänase Guatemala rahaühikuks quetzal ning see lind ehib ka riigi lippu ja vappi. Antud foto tollest maailma ühest efektsemast linnust sai tehtud Curi-cancha kaitsealal, Monteverde pilvemetsas, Costa Ricas.

"Quetzali" means feathers in nahuatl and this photo shows clearly how the bird got its name. Mayas used the resplendent quetzal feathers as currency and to this day, the local currency in Guatemala is called "Quetzal" and the bird is both on its national flag and the coat of arms. This photo of one of the most beautiful birds in the world was taken in Curi-Cancha Reserve, Monteverde cloud forest, Costa Rica.

Ketsal, Pharomachrus mocinno

Ülipika sabaga isane ketsal näeb küll väga edev välja, kuid selle uhkeldamise hinnaks on raskendatud lendamine. Ülejäänud kerest mitu korda pikemad sabasuled on väga korralik õhutakistus, mistõttu on ketsalid röövlindudele keskmisest kergemaks saagiks. Samas on peamiseks ohuks linnule siiski elupaikade kadumine ning tänaseks on asi muutunud juba üsna kriitiliseks ning seda seetõttu, et levila on jaotumas pisikesteks tükkideks. See aga tähendab seda, et erinevate piirkondade linnud enam omavahel ei segune ja geneetiline ühekülgsus võib viia ketsalite arvu veelgi kiirema vähenemiseni. Kui midagi ei muutu, siis on selle Kesk-Ameerika põlisrahvaste püha linnu tulevik üsna tume. Foto tehtud Curi-cancha kaitsealal, Monteverde pilvemetsas, Costa Ricas.

Male resplendent quetzal with its extremely long tail looks extravagant but this vanity has its downsides. As the tail feathers are several times longer than the body, the drag during the flight is substantial and therefore quetzals are quite an easy catch for the birds of prey. Although the main threat to the species is still loss of habitat and today the problem is amplified by the drastic fragmentation of it. This means that the quetzals of different regions do not mix anymore and this kind of genetic isolation and reduction of population sizes will consequently lead to rapid local extinctions. So if nothing changes, the future of this holy bird of Central American native people is rather grim. The photo is taken in Curi-Cancha Reserve, Monteverde cloud forest, Costa Rica.

Ketsal, Pharomachrus mocinno

Ketsal e hundketsal on üks kummalisema välimusega lindusid, keda olen oma elus näinud. Väike harjastega pea, istudes hoiab tiibu kõhu ümber ning isastel on lisaks kõigele veel ülipikk saba. Tegemist on samas ka ühe haruldaisema linnuga, keda on õnnestunud pildistada. Tänapäeval kohtab teda vaid valitud kohtades kesk-Ameerikas ning tema nägemine on üks paras vedamine. Tulevikus jagan siin veel infot ja ka paremaid pilte sellest maiade ja asteekide pühast linnust, kuid alustuseks aitab. Foto tehtud Curi-cancha kaitsealal, Costa Ricas.

Resplendent Quetzal is one of the strangest looking birds I have seen in my life. Small head with helmet-like crest, while sitting it holds the wings around the belly and the males have extremely long tail. It is also one of the rarest birds I have managed to photograph. Today you can meet quetzal only in selected places in Central America and seeing it requires also a bit of luck. In the future I will add some more info and better photos of this holy bird of aztecs and mayas but it's enough for today. The photo is taken in Curi-Cancha Reserve, Costa Rica

Ketsal, Pharomachrus mocinno

Ei ole just parim foto, aga selle eest on haruldane lind. Ketsalist olen ka varem blogisse pilte lisanud, kuid siiani ainult isaslinnust (eristatav kollase noka ja punase kõhu järgi).

Tänu ekstravagantsele välimusele on ketsalitega seotud palju legende ning üks maiade oma on selline, et enne hispaanlaste tulekut oli ketsalil lummavalt kaunis laul. Pärast kolonistide maabumist lind aga vaikis (teeb praegu vaid kummalisi, kääksuvaid häälitsusi) ning hakkab laulma uuesti siis, mil Ameerika on jälle "vaba". Ehk siis mitte kunagi. Curi-Cancha kaitseala Monteverde pilvemetsas, Costa Ricas.

It's not the best photo but on the other hand it's a very rare bird. I have shown some photos of Resplendent Quetzal in this blog before but for the first time it's the female bird (male is distinguishable by yellow beak and red breast).

Due to its extravagant looks, there are many legends connected to quetzals. One Mayan legend claims that the quetzal used to sing beautifully before the Spanish conquest, but has been silent ever since (actually does some unmusical squeaking sounds, but no song). It will supposedly sing once again only when the land is truly free. So basically never. Curi-Cancha Reserve in Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica.