A Gorgeous Little Theropod.

Greetings. Allosaurus. Carnotaurus. Spinosaurus. Velociraptor. The iconic Tyrannosaurus rex.

Theropods all.

Included in that particular group of animals are all birds, avian dinosaurs numbering about 11,000 living species today. One particularly beautiful living example is Pharomachrus mocinno. 

The resplendent quetzal, Pharomachrus mocinno, is a small bird found in Central America and southern Mexico that lives in tropical forests, in particular montane cloud forests. A member of the family Trogonidae, the resplendent is for the most part omnivorous; its diet mainly consisting of the fruits of plants in the laurel family, occasionally preying on insects, lizards, frogs and snails.

Pharomachrus mocinno possesses a colorful and complex plumage that differs substantially between the sexes. Males have iridescent green plumes, a red lower breast and belly, black innerwings, and a white undertail. Females have grey lower breasts, bellies, and bills, along with bronze-green heads, and shorter tails. Resplendents hollow holes in decaying trees or take advantage of holes already made by woodpeckers as a nesting site. They are known to take turns while incubating, males throughout the day and females at night. The female usually lays between one and three eggs, which hatch in about eighteen days.

Pharomachrus mocinno is an altitudinal migrant, consistently migrating from the slopes to the protective canopy of the rainforest. Migration occurs during the breeding season, which varies depending on the location, but usually commences in March and extends as far as August.

Pharomachrus mocinno is a petite flyer, attaining body lengths of about 40 centimeters, with the tail streamers measuring between 31 and 100.5 centimeters. The species' skin is very thin and easily damaged, so it has evolved thick plumage to provide ample protection. Additionally, the birds have large eyes, adapted to see in the dim light conditions of the rainforest. Their song is an array of full-toned, mellow, slurred notes in plain patterns and is often remarkably melodious: keow, kowee, keow, k'loo, keeloo.

Pharomachrus mocinno inhabits moist rainforests at high elevations of up to 3,200 meters. The birds populate trees that make up the canopy and subcanopy of the rainforest, though they can also be found in ravines and cliffs, preferring to live in decaying trees, stumps, and abandoned woodpecker hollows. Despite their vividness, the colors of the species are obscured by the rainforest's foliage. 

Pharomachrus mocinno. A unique bird, a beautiful little theropod, an avian dinosaur. 

Thank you for your time and consideration.