The amazing Resplendent Quetzal

I had a fantastic encounter with this Resplendent Quetzal while on one of my photography Workshops I had heard from a local guide that he knew of a nesting pair of Quetzals near our location in the cloud forest. Excited and very happy, we immediately Packed our gear and headed to wear the pair were nesting. Upon arriving on-site, the first thing I noticed was the long rocky trail leading up the side of the mountain and wondered to myself just how far I would be hiking with my equipment before we would get to the nesting area. I quickly found out the answer to my question when I saw the property owner only a hundred yards up the trail pointing into the trees and telling us to hurry.

We grabbed our equipment and swiftly made our way up the hillside to where he was pointing into the trees, and there it was no more than 60 feet away, perfectly perched on a branch poses as if it were waiting for its photoshoot. We took many pics and got to observe this incredibly beautiful bird for about twenty minutes, and I often found myself holding my breath with excitement and had to remind myself to breathe.

“live life with passion, see the beauty in all things, and share it with the world.”

Jeffrey Patrick Karnes