The Quetzal: One of the Most Beautiful Birds

Sacred to ancient Mesoamerican people, gorgeously plumed quetzals live in the mountains of Central America.

Photo from Animalposts.blogspot.com

During mating season, male quetzals grow twin tail feathers that form an amazing train up to three feet (one meter) long. Females do not have long trains, but they do share the brilliant blue, green, and red coloring of their mates. Male colors tend to be more vibrant.

Purple Martins Have Help Finding Homes

Putting up Martin houses used to be so common that John James Audubon used them to choose his lodgings for the night. In 1831, he remarked, “Almost every country tavern has a martin box on the upper part of its sign-board; and I have observed that the handsomer the box, the better does the inn generally prove to be.”

Image from All About Birds

Native Americans used to hang up empty gourds for Purple martins before Europeans arrived in North America. Purples Martins in eastern North America now nest almost exclusively in birdhouses, but birds in the west use mostly natural cavities. 

The Many Colors Of The Pheasant

The traditional ring neck pheasant, or common pheasant, is a very pretty bird, with red and deep emerald/blue feathers on its head and rich golden brown feathers covering its body. However, the ring neck pheasant's plumage pales in comparison to that of it's colorful cousins. It looks, well, pretty common. 

Ring Neck Pheasant

Lady Amherst Pheasant

Red Golden Pheasant

Yellow Golden Pheasant

Japanese Green Pheasant

Pheasants' plumage actually spans the color spectrum from white to nearly black. Some of these colors are natural and others are the result of captive breeding and hybridization.