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94-464: Pharomachrus mocinno costaricensis Pharomachrus mocinno mocinno The resplendent quetzal ( Pharomachrus mocinno ) is a small bird found in Central America and southern Mexico that lives in tropical forests , particularly montane cloud forests . They are part of the family Trogonidae and have two recognized subspecies , P. m. mocinno and P. m. costaricensis . Like other quetzals,

188-462: A deity . It is the national animal of Guatemala , being pictured on the flag and coat of arms ; it also gives its name to the country's currency, the Guatemalan quetzal . The resplendent quetzal was first described by Mexican naturalist Pablo de La Llave in 1832. It is one of five species of the genus Pharomachrus , commonly known as quetzals. Quetzal is usually specifically used to refer to

282-547: A British colony and named it British Honduras . It became independent as Belize in 1981. Panama, situated in the southernmost part of Central America on the Isthmus of Panama , has for most of its history been culturally and politically linked to South America. Panama was part of the Province of Tierra Firme from 1510 until 1538 when it came under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Audiencia Real de Panama . Beginning in 1543, Panama

376-669: A Central American identity. Belizeans are usually identified as culturally Caribbean rather than Central American, while Panamanians identify themselves more broadly with their South American neighbors. The Spanish-speaking countries officially include both North America and South America as a single continent, América , which is split into four subregions: North America ( Northern America and Mexico ), Central America, South America, and Insular America (the West Indies ). "Central America" may mean different things to various people, based upon different contexts: Central America

470-652: A common currency and common passport for the member nations. No timeline for implementation was discussed. Central America already has several supranational institutions such as the Central American Parliament , the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the Central American Common Market . On 22 July 2011, President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador became the first president pro tempore to SICA. El Salvador also became

564-581: A decrease in trade winds. Central America is part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot , boasting 7% of the world's biodiversity . The Pacific Flyway is a major north–south flyway for migratory birds in the Americas, extending from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego . Due to the funnel-like shape of its land mass, migratory birds can be seen in very high concentrations in Central America, especially in

658-486: A gain in the dry forest biome at 2,054 square kilometers (793 sq mi). Mangroves and deserts contributed only 1% to the loss in forest vegetation. The bulk of the deforestation was located at the Caribbean slopes of Nicaragua with a loss of 8,574 square kilometers (3,310 sq mi) of forest in the period from 2001 to 2010. The most significant regrowth of 3,050 square kilometers (1,180 sq mi) of forest

752-449: A green body (showing iridescence from green-gold to blue-violet) and a red lower breast and belly. Depending on the light, quetzal feathers can shine in a variant of colors: from green, cobalt, lime, and yellow to ultramarine. Their green upper tail coverts hide their tails and are particularly splendid in breeding males, being longer than the rest of the body. Though the quetzal's plumage appears green, they are actually brown due to

846-463: A period of political transformation. Poverty, social injustice, and violence are still widespread. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, after Haiti. Central America is a part of North America consisting of a tapering isthmus running from the southern extent of Mexico to the northwestern portion of South America . Central America has the Gulf of Mexico , a body of water within

940-533: A resplendent quetzal accompanied the hero, Tecún Umán , prince of the Quiché (K'iche') Maya , during his battle against Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado . Tecún, equipped with just an arrow and bow, nevertheless is able to incapacitate Alvarado's horse on the first strike. Alvarado was then given a second horse and counter-charged against Tecún, running his chest through with a spear. A quetzal flew down and alighted on Tecún's body, drenching its chest in his blood. It

1034-709: A result of seismic activity at the Middle America Trench. For example, subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the North American Plate at the Middle America Trench is believed to have caused the 1985 Mexico City earthquake that killed as many as 40,000 people. Seismic activity at the Middle America Trench is also responsible for earthquakes in 1902 , 1942 , 1956 , 1982 , 1992 , January 2001 , February 2001 , 2007 , 2012 , 2014 , and many other earthquakes throughout Central America. The Middle America Trench

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1128-655: A result of these natural disasters. Most of Central America rests atop the Caribbean Plate . This tectonic plate converges with the Cocos , Nazca , and North American plates to form the Middle America Trench , a major subduction zone. The Middle America Trench is situated some 60–160 kilometers (37–99 mi) off the Pacific coast of Central America and runs roughly parallel to it. Many large earthquakes have occurred as

1222-500: A rotten tree. Resplendent quetzals tend to lay two clutches per year and are known to have a high rate of nest failure, 67-78%. One of the most important factors when choosing a nest location for the quetzal is that the tree must be in a stage of decomposition and decay. They often reuse their previous sites. The height of nest stubs is 41 feet (10 m) and the nest holes 31 feet (9 m). Both parents take turns at incubating , with their long tail coverts folded forwards over out of

1316-440: A shorter tail. Grey lower breasts, bellies, and bills, along with bronze-green heads are characteristic of females. These birds hollow holes in decaying trees or use ones already made by woodpeckers as a nest site. They are known to take turns while incubating, males throughout the day and females at night. The female usually lays one to three eggs, which hatch in 17 to 19 days. The quetzal is an altitudinal migrant , migrating from

1410-448: Is an ongoing debate about whether costaricensis should be recognized as a distinct species. The specific epithet mocinno is a Latinization of the name of the biologist José Mariano M. Mociño , a mentor of his. The resplendent quetzal is the largest trogon . It is 36 to 40 cm (14–16 in) long; in the nominate subspecies , the tail streamers measure between 31 cm (12 in) and 100.5 cm (39.6 in), with

1504-482: Is avoided in their diet. For this reason, it is a traditional symbol of liberty . The national anthem of Guatemala even includes the verse " Antes muerto que esclavo será " (Be rather dead than a slave). However, the scientific discovery about the bird's susceptibility to iron has allowed some zoos, including Miguel Álvarez del Toro Zoo in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas , to keep this species. Breeding in captivity

1598-656: Is currently undergoing a process of political, economic and cultural transformation that started in 1907 with the creation of the Central American Court of Justice . In 1951 the integration process continued with the signature of the San Salvador Treaty, which created the ODECA, the Organization of Central American States. However, the unity of the ODECA was limited by conflicts between several member states. In 1991,

1692-553: Is found in southern Mexico, northern El Salvador , and northwestern Nicaragua , Guatemala and Honduras , while P. m. costaricensis is found in Costa Rica and western Panama. The geographical isolation between the two subspecies is caused by the Nicaraguan depression, a 50 km (31 mi) wide, 600 km (370 mi) long bottomland that contains the two largest lakes in Central America, Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua , and

1786-543: Is not the only source of seismic activity in Central America. The Motagua Fault is an onshore continuation of the Cayman Trough which forms part of the tectonic boundary between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. This transform fault cuts right across Guatemala and then continues offshore until it merges with the Middle America Trench along the Pacific coast of Mexico, near Acapulco . Seismic activity at

1880-500: Is part of this. The Belize Barrier Reef is home to a large diversity of plants and animals, and is one of the most diverse ecosystems of the world. It is home to 70 hard coral species, 36 soft coral species, 500 species of fish and hundreds of invertebrate species. So far only about 10% of the species in the Belize barrier reef have been discovered. From 2001 to 2010, 5,376 square kilometers (2,076 sq mi) of forest were lost in

1974-489: Is the most common type of Central American temperate evergreen cloud forest , found in almost all Central American countries, normally more than 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) above sea level. Tree species include evergreen oaks , members of the laurel family , species of Weinmannia and Magnolia , and Drimys granadensis . The cloud forest of Sierra de las Minas , Guatemala, is the largest in Central America. In some areas of southeastern Honduras there are cloud forests,

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2068-591: Is the political organ of Central America, and is part of SICA. New members have since then joined including Panama and the Dominican Republic. Jos%C3%A9 Mariano Moci%C3%B1o After having studied philosophy and medicine, he conducted early research on the botany, geology, and anthropology of his country and other parts of North America. He was born in Temascaltepec (modern-day Mexico State ) in 1757. Being poor, he worked in many different jobs to study in

2162-460: Is very rich in terms of ethnic groups. The majority of the population is mestizo , with sizable Mayan and African descendent populations present, along with numerous other indigenous groups such as the Miskito people . The immigration of Arabs, Jews, Chinese, Europeans and others brought additional groups to the area. The predominant religion in Central America is Christianity (95.6%). Beginning with

2256-479: Is very thin and easily torn, so it has evolved thick plumage to protect its skin. It has large eyes, adapted to see in the dim light of the forest. 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 . This species inhabits amidst lush vegetation, in specially moist rainforests at high elevations (900–3,200 m (3,000–10,500 ft)). They populate trees that make up

2350-773: The Atlantic Ocean , to the north; the Caribbean Sea, also part of the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast; and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Some physiographists define the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as the northern geographic border of Central America, while others use the northwestern borders of Belize and Guatemala. From there, the Central American land mass extends southeastward to the Atrato River , where it connects to

2444-524: The Aztec and Maya . The Maya also regarded the quetzal as representative of freedom and wealth on account of quetzals dying in captivity and the worth of their feathers along with jade , correspondingly. Mesoamerican rulers and some high ranked nobles wore diadems created from quetzal feathers, symbolically linking them to Quetzalcoatl. Since the killing of quetzals was forbidden under the Mayas and Aztec criminal law,

2538-663: The Chibchan languages at the time of European contact and are considered by some culturally different and grouped in the Isthmo-Colombian Area . Following the Spanish expedition of Christopher Columbus 's voyages to the Americas, the Spanish sent many expeditions to the region, and they began their conquest of Maya territory in 1523. Soon after the conquest of the Aztec Empire , Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado commenced

2632-678: The Cordillera de Talamanca . The Central American montane forests are an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund . These forests are of the moist deciduous and the semi-evergreen seasonal subtype of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and receive high overall rainfall with a warm summer wet season and a cooler winter dry season. Central American montane forests consist of forest patches located at altitudes ranging from 1,800–4,000 metres (5,900–13,100 ft), on

2726-629: The First Mexican Empire ; however in 1823 they seceded from Mexico to form the Federal Republic of Central America until 1838. In 1838, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua became the first of Central America's seven states to become independent countries, followed by El Salvador in 1841, Panama in 1903, and Belize in 1981. Despite the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America , countries like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua continue to maintain

2820-742: The Kowoj and the Itza people – were finally defeated in 1697, as part of the Spanish conquest of Petén . In 1538, Spain established the Real Audiencia of Panama , which had jurisdiction over all land from the Strait of Magellan to the Gulf of Fonseca . This entity was dissolved in 1543, and most of the territory within Central America then fell under the jurisdiction of the Audiencia Real de Guatemala . This area included

2914-516: The Pacific Lowlands in northwestern South America. Central America has over 70 active volcanoes, 41 which are located in El Salvador, and Guatemala. The volcano with the most activity in Central America is Santa María . Still experiencing frequent eruptions to this day, with the last one beginning in 2013, and still is going on to this day. Of the many mountain ranges within Central America,

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3008-501: The Pacific Northwest . Although the pay for his job was minimal, he created one of the most important natural history collections of his times. Beginning in 1795, by order of Charles IV , he made several journeys to examine the natural products of Mexico. He traveled more than 3,000 leagues and formed a valuable collection, including a considerable herbarium and a great number of sketches, which he took to Spain in 1803. There Mociño

3102-598: The Seminario Tridentino de México , where he devoted himself especially to physics, mathematics, botany, and chemistry. In 1778 he graduated in philosophy. In 1791 he was called to join the scientific expedition of Martín de Sessé , the Royal Botanical Expedition, which had started in 1787. They traveled across New Spain, reaching the most inhospitable places of the Empire , being especially notable his trips to

3196-710: The Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Mexico's Chiapas state through the highlands of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to central Nicaragua. The pine-oak forests lie between 600–1,800 metres (2,000–5,900 ft) elevation, and are surrounded at lower elevations by tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests . Higher elevations above 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) are usually covered with Central American montane forests . The Central American pine-oak forests are composed of many species characteristic of temperate North America including oak , pine , fir , and cypress . Laurel forest

3290-605: The Treaty of Córdoba , which established New Spain's independence from Spain. On 15 September 1821, the Act of Independence of Central America was enacted to announce Central America's separation from the Spanish Empire and provide for the establishment of a new Central American state . Some of New Spain's provinces in the Central American region (i.e. what would become Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica) were annexed to

3384-435: The canopy and subcanopy of the rainforest, though they can also be found in ravines and cliffs. It prefers to live in decaying trees, stumps, and abandoned woodpecker hollows. The vivid colors of the quetzal are disguised by the rainforest. The resplendent quetzal can be found from southern Mexico (southernmost Oaxaca and Chiapas ) to western Panama ( Chiriquí ). The ranges of the two subspecies differ: P. m. mocinno

3478-605: The conquest of northern Central America for the Spanish Empire . Beginning with his arrival in Soconusco in 1523, Alvarado's forces systematically conquered and subjugated most of the major Maya kingdoms, including the K'iche' , Tz'utujil , Pipil , and the Kaqchikel . By 1528, the conquest of Guatemala was nearly complete, with only the Petén Basin remaining outside the Spanish sphere of influence. The last independent Maya kingdoms –

3572-563: The 1816 earthquake of Guatemala. Managua , the capital of Nicaragua, was devastated by earthquakes in 1931 and 1972 . Volcanic eruptions are also common in Central America. In 1968 the Arenal Volcano , in Costa Rica, erupted killing 87 people as the 3 villages of Tabacon, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luis were buried under pyroclastic flows and debris. Fertile soils from weathered volcanic lava have made it possible to sustain dense populations in

3666-585: The 1930s the United Fruit Company owned 14,000 square kilometres (3.5 million acres) of land in Central America and the Caribbean and was the single largest land owner in Guatemala. Such holdings gave it great power over the governments of small countries. That was one of the factors that led to the coining of the phrase banana republic . After more than two hundred years of social unrest, violent conflict, and revolution, Central America today remains in

3760-564: The Congress of Central America peacefully seceded from Mexico and declared absolute independence from all foreign nations, and the region formed the Federal Republic of Central America . The Federal Republic of Central America was a representative democracy with its capital at Guatemala City . This union consisted of the provinces of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Los Altos , Mosquito Coast , and Nicaragua. The lowlands of southwest Chiapas, including Soconusco, initially belonged to

3854-594: The Costa Rica-Chiriqui highlands within the Talamancan montane forest region. Jaguars , cougars , spider monkeys , as well as tapirs , and anteaters live in the woods of Central America. The Central American red brocket is a brocket deer found in Central America's tropical forest. Central America is geologically very active, with volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occurring frequently, and tsunamis occurring occasionally. Many thousands of people have died as

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3948-696: The Motagua Fault has been responsible for earthquakes in 1717 , 1773 , 1902 , 1976 , 1980 , and 2009 . Another onshore continuation of the Cayman Trough is the Chixoy-Polochic Fault , which runs parallel to, and roughly 80 kilometers (50 mi) to the north, of the Motagua Fault. Though less active than the Motagua Fault, seismic activity at the Chixoy-Polochic Fault is still thought to be capable of producing very large earthquakes, such as

4042-681: The PRC. The Central American Parliament (aka PARLACEN) is a political and parliamentary body of SICA. The parliament started around 1980, and its primary goal was to resolve conflicts in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Although the group was disbanded in 1986, ideas of unity of Central Americans still remained, so a treaty was signed in 1987 to create the Central American Parliament and other political bodies. Its original members were Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. The parliament

4136-660: The People's Republic of China. In August 2018, El Salvador also severed ties with Taiwan to formally start recognizing the People's Republic of China as sole China, a move many considered lacked transparency due to its abruptness and reports of the Chinese government's desires to invest in the department of La Union while also promising to fund the ruling party's reelection campaign. The President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele , broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan and established ties with China . On 9 December 2021, Nicaragua resumed relations with

4230-491: The Republic until 1824, when Mexico annexed most of Chiapas and began its claims to Soconusco. The Republic lasted from 1823 to 1838, when it disintegrated as a result of civil wars. The territory that now makes up Belize was heavily contested in a dispute that continued for decades after Guatemala achieved independence. Spain, and later Guatemala, considered this land a Guatemalan department . In 1862, Britain formally declared it

4324-453: The Spanish colonization of Central America in the 16th century, Catholicism became the most popular religion in the region until the first half of the 20th century. Since the 1960s, there has been an increase in other Christian groups, particularly Protestantism , as well as other religious organizations, and individuals identifying themselves as having no religion. Source: Jason Mandrik, Operation World Statistics (2020). Central America

4418-472: The agriculturally productive highland areas. List of countries by life expectancy at birth for 2022, according to the World Bank Group . The population of Central America is estimated at 50,956,791 as of 2021. With an area of 523,780 square kilometers (202,230 sq mi), it has a population density of 97.3 per square kilometre (252 per square mile). Human Development Index values are from

4512-461: The bird population of the Talamancan montane forests in Costa Rica and Panama are endemic to this region. Several birds are listed as threatened, most notably the resplendent quetzal (Pharomacrus mocinno), three-wattled bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata), bare-necked umbrellabird (Cephalopterus glabricollis), and black guan (Chamaepetes unicolor). Many of the amphibians are endemic and depend on

4606-425: The bird was merely seized, its prolonged tail feathers deplumed, and was set loose. In ancient Mayan culture, the quetzal feathers were considered so precious that they were even used as a medium of exchange . Thus the name of the Guatemala currency, the quetzal . In various Mesoamerican languages , the word quetzal can as well mean precious , sacred , or king , warrior , prince . One Mayan legend has it that

4700-402: The birds swallow whole before regurgitating the pits , which helps to disperse these trees. Quetzals feed more frequently in the midday hours. The adults eat a more fruit-based diet than the chicks, who eat insects primarily and some fruits. Over fifty percent of the fruit they eat are laurels. Quetzals use the methods of "hovering" and "stalling" in order to selectively pick the fruit from near

4794-482: The chicks hatch. Young quetzals begin flying after a month, but the distinctive long tail feathers can take three years to develop in males. The population trend varies between subpopulations but is generally decreasing although certain populations may be increasing or are at least stable. It is classified as being near threatened on the IUCN Red List , with an estimated population of 20,000–49,999 individuals. Due to

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4888-471: The cloud forests, helping disseminate the seeds of at least 32 tree species. Resplendent quetzals are considered specialized fruit-eaters , feeding on 41 to 43 species, although they also feed on insects (primarily wasps , ants , and larvae ), frogs , lizards , and snails . Particularly important are the Symplococarpon purpusii and wild avocados , as well as other fruits of the laurel family, which

4982-609: The correlation between quetzal abundance and the number of fruiting Lauraceae species is only marginal. Resplendent quetzals generally display shy and quiet behaviour to elude predators . In contrast, they are rather vocal during the mating season and their behavior is designated to exhibit and attract mates. Their known predators include the ornate hawk-eagle , golden eagle , and other hawks and owls as adults, along with emerald toucanets , brown jays , long-tailed weasels , squirrels , and kinkajous as nestlings or eggs. The resplendent quetzal plays an important ecological role in

5076-641: The current territories of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Mexican state of Chiapas , but excluded the lands that would become Belize and Panama. The president of the Audiencia, which had its seat in Antigua Guatemala , was the governor of the entire area. In 1609 the area became a captaincy general and the governor was also granted the title of captain general. The Captaincy General of Guatemala encompassed most of Central America, with

5170-523: The deficiency of the breeding habitats in regions adjoining to. The quetzal migrates from its breeding areas in the lower montane rainforest to the pre-montane rainforest on the Pacific slopes for three to four months (July–October), after which they move across the continental divide to the Atlantic slopes. Quetzal's abundance in its mating areas is correlated with the total number of fruiting species, although

5264-410: The estimates for 2017. The official language majority in all Central American countries is Spanish , except in Belize, where the official language is English . Mayan languages constitute a language family consisting of about 26 related languages. Guatemala formally recognized 21 of these in 1996. Xinca , Miskito , and Garifuna are also present in Central America. This region of the continent

5358-460: The exception of present-day Belize and Panama. The Captaincy General of Guatemala lasted for more than two centuries, but began to fray after a rebellion in 1811 which began in the Intendancy of San Salvador . The Captaincy General formally ended on 15 September 1821, with the signing of the Act of Independence of Central America . Mexican independence was achieved at virtually the same time with

5452-495: The existence of forest. The golden toad that once inhabited a small region in the Monteverde Reserve, which is part of the Talamancan montane forests, has not been seen alive since 1989 and is listed as extinct by IUCN. The exact causes for its extinction are unknown. Global warming may have played a role, because the development of that frog is typical for this area may have been compromised. Seven small mammals are endemic to

5546-437: The headquarters of SICA with the inauguration of a new building. Until recently, all Central American countries maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of China. President Óscar Arias of Costa Rica, however, established diplomatic relations with China in 2007, severing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. After breaking off relations with the Republic of China in 2017, Panama established diplomatic relations with

5640-464: The hole, giving them the appearance of a bunch of fern growing out of the hole. The incubation period lasts about 17 to 19 days, during which the male generally incubates the eggs during the day while the female incubates them at night. When the eggs hatch, both parents take care of the young, feeding them entire fruits, such as berries and avocados, as early as the second day. However, chicks are primarily fed insects, lizards, snails and small frogs. It

5734-591: The integration agenda was further advanced by the creation of the Central American Integration System ( Sistema para la Integración Centroamericana , or SICA). SICA provides a clear legal basis to avoid disputes between the member states. SICA membership includes the 7 nations of Central America plus the Dominican Republic , a state that is traditionally considered part of the Caribbean. On 6 December 2008, SICA announced an agreement to pursue

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5828-455: The largest located near the border with Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, cloud forests are situated near the border with Honduras, but many were cleared to grow coffee. There are still some temperate evergreen hills in the north. The only cloud forest in the Pacific coastal zone of Central America is on the Mombacho volcano in Nicaragua. In Costa Rica, there are laurel forests in the Cordillera de Tilarán and Volcán Arenal , called Monteverde , also in

5922-442: The longest are the Sierra Madre de Chiapas , the Cordillera Isabelia and the Cordillera de Talamanca . At 4,220 meters (13,850 ft), Volcán Tajumulco is the highest peak in Central America. Other high points of Central America are as listed in the table below: Between the mountain ranges lie fertile valleys that are suitable for the raising of livestock and for the production of coffee, tobacco, beans and other crops. Most of

6016-402: The manuscripts for a Flora Mexicana . Candolle brought him to Geneva, where he became professor in the University of Geneva . In 1818 he returned to Spain. He asked Candolle to return his manuscripts, which Candolle did after having the talented botanical illustrator, Jean-Christophe Heyland , make copies of the plates. The originals are deposited at the botanical garden of Madrid along with

6110-408: The manuscripts for a Flora de Guatemala . He died in Barcelona, poor and blind, in 1820. He was one of the most famous American naturalists of the colonial period . Among his publications were Descripción del Volcan Jorullo en versos latinos (Mexico, 1801), and “Observaciones sobre la resina del hule ,” published in the Anales de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid, 1804). Pablo de la Llave named

6204-413: The median being 75 cm (30 in) for males. The nominate subspecies weighs about 210 g (7.4 oz), while the subspecies costaricensis is slightly smaller than the nominate race, with shorter wings and bills. The tail plumes are shorter and narrower, measuring between 32 cm (13 in) and 86 cm (34 in), with the median being 63 cm (25 in). Resplendent quetzals have

6298-405: The north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually defined as consisting of seven countries: Belize , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Nicaragua , and Panama . Within Central America is the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot , which extends from southern Mexico to southeastern Panama. Due to

6392-439: The pigment melanin . The primary wing coverts are also unusually long and have a fringed appearance. The male has a helmet-like crest . The bill, which is partly covered by green filamentous feathers, is yellow in mature males and grey in females. Their iridescent feathers, which cause them to appear shiny and green like the canopy leaves, are a camouflage adaptation to hide within the canopy during rainy weather. The quetzal's skin

6486-426: The population of Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala lives in valleys. Trade winds have a significant effect upon the climate of Central America. Temperatures in Central America are highest just prior to the summer wet season , and are lowest during the winter dry season , when trade winds contribute to a cooler climate. The highest temperatures occur in April, due to higher levels of sunlight, lower cloud cover and

6580-413: The presence of several active geologic faults and the Central America Volcanic Arc , there is a high amount of seismic activity in the region, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which has resulted in death, injury, and property damage. In the pre-Columbian era , Central America was inhabited by the Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica to the north and west and the Isthmo-Colombian peoples to

6674-428: The region are made by creating ecoregions and nature reserves. 36% of Belize's land territory falls under some form of official protected status, giving Belize one of the most extensive systems of terrestrial protected areas in the Americas. In addition, 13% of Belize's marine territory are also protected. A large coral reef extends from Mexico to Honduras: the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System . The Belize Barrier Reef

6768-404: The region's flora and fauna are threatened, 107 of which are classified as critically endangered. The underlying problems are deforestation , which is estimated by FAO at 1.2% per year in Central America and Mexico combined, fragmentation of rainforests and the fact that 80% of the vegetation in Central America has already been converted to agriculture. Efforts to protect fauna and flora in

6862-407: The region. In 2010 Belize had 63% of remaining forest cover, Costa Rica 46%, Panama 45%, Honduras 41%, Guatemala 37%, Nicaragua 29%, and El Salvador 21%. Most of the loss occurred in the moist forest biome , with 12,201 square kilometers (4,711 sq mi). Woody vegetation loss was partially set off by a gain in the coniferous forest biome with 4,730 square kilometers (1,830 sq mi), and

6956-467: The remote habitat of the quetzal, more monitoring is required to confirm the rate of decline, and depending on the results it could lead to it moving to a higher threat category. In 2001, the quetzal survived only in 11 small, isolated patches of forest. Its biggest threats are habitat loss because of deforestation , forest fragmentation , and agricultural clearing. The quetzal is also sometimes hunted for food and trapped for illegal trading. Cloud forests,

7050-453: The resplendent is mostly omnivorous ; its diet mainly consists of fruits of plants in the laurel family, Lauraceae , but it occasionally also preys on insects , lizards , frogs and snails . The species is well known for its colorful and complex plumage that differs substantially between sexes . Males have iridescent green plumes, a red lower breast and belly, black innerwings and a white undertail , whilst females are duller and have

7144-507: The resplendent quetzal's habitat, are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world, but the species occurs in several protected areas and is a sought-after species for birdwatchers and ecotourists . It was thought that the resplendent quetzal could not be bred or held for a long time in captivity, and was noted for usually dying soon after being captured or caged as a result of assimilation of iron through water ingestion, with this now understood they are now given tannic acid and iron

7238-468: The resplendent, but it typically applies to all members of the genera Pharomachrus and Euptilotis . Some scholars label the crested quetzal as a very close relative of the resplendent, and either suggest the crested quetzal to be a subspecies of the resplendent or the two form a superspecies . The quetzal clade is thought to have spread out from where it emerged in the Andes , the resplendent quetzal being

7332-574: The result of which produced the republic of Gran Colombia . After the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830, Panama became part of a successor state, the Republic of New Granada . From 1855 until 1886, Panama existed as Panama State , first within the Republic of New Granada, then within the Granadine Confederation , and finally within the United States of Colombia . The United States of Colombia

7426-617: The signing of the Treaty of Córdoba and the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire , and the entire region was finally independent from Spanish authority by 28 September 1821. From its independence from Spain in 1821 until 1823, the former Captaincy General remained intact as part of the short-lived First Mexican Empire . When the Emperor of Mexico abdicated on 19 March 1823, Central America again became independent. On 1 July 1823,

7520-415: The size of their territory in Guatemala being 6–10 ha (15–25 acres). They are also seasonal breeders, with the breeding season lasting from March to April in Mexico, May to June in El Salvador, and March to May in Guatemala. When breeding, females lay one to three pale blue eggs with a mean of 38.9 millimetres (1.53 in) x 32.4 millimetres (1.28 in) in a nest placed in a hole which they carve in

7614-517: The slopes to the canopy of the forest. This occurs during the breeding season, which varies depending on the location, but usually commences in March and extends as far as August. The resplendent quetzal is considered near threatened on the IUCN Red List , with habitat destruction being the main threat. It has an important role in Mesoamerican mythology , and is closely associated with Quetzalcoatl ,

7708-590: The south and east. Following the Spanish expedition of Christopher Columbus ' voyages to the Americas , Spain began to colonize the Americas . From 1609 to 1821, the majority of Central American territories (except for what would become Belize and Panama, and including the modern Mexican state of Chiapas ) were governed by the viceroyalty of New Spain from Mexico City as the Captaincy General of Guatemala . On 24 August 1821, Spanish Viceroy Juan de O'Donojú signed

7802-568: The spring and autumn. As a bridge between North America and South America, Central America has many species from the Nearctic and the Neotropical realms . However the southern countries (Costa Rica and Panama) of the region have more biodiversity than the northern countries (Guatemala and Belize), meanwhile the central countries (Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador) have the least biodiversity. The table below shows recent statistics: Over 300 species of

7896-501: The summits and slopes of the highest mountains in Central America ranging from Southern Mexico, through Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, to northern Nicaragua. The entire ecoregion covers an area of 13,200 square kilometers (5,100 sq mi) and has a temperate climate with relatively high precipitation levels. Ecoregions are not only established to protect the forests themselves but also because they are habitats for an incomparably rich and often endemic fauna. Almost half of

7990-512: The tips of the branches. Resplendent quetzals create their nests over 200 feet (60 m) up in the air and court in the air with specific calls. Six specific vocal calls have been recorded: the two-note whistle, gee-gee , wahc-ah-wahc , wec-wec , whistle, coouee , uwac , chatter, and buzzing. The first call is related to male territorial behavior, while the coouee whistle is a mating call. Resplendent quetzals usually live alone when not breeding. They are monogamous territorial breeders, with

8084-604: The youngest species. The name of the genus, Pharomachrus , refers to the physical characteristics of the bird, with pharos meaning ' mantle ' and makros meaning 'long' in Ancient Greek . The word 'quetzal' came from Nahuatl (Aztec), where quetzalli (from the root quetza , meaning 'stand') means 'tall upstanding plume' and then 'quetzal tail feather'; from that, Nahuatl quetzaltotōtl means 'quetzal-feather bird' and thus 'quetzal'. Two subspecies are recognized, P. m. mocinno and P. m. costaricensis , although there

8178-657: Was administered as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru , along with all other Spanish possessions in South America. Panama remained as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1739, when it was transferred to the Viceroyalty of New Granada , the capital of which was located at Santa Fé de Bogotá . Panama remained as part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada until the disestablishment of that viceroyalty in 1819. A series of military and political struggles took place from that time until 1822,

8272-427: Was announced in 2004. [REDACTED] The resplendent quetzal is of great importance to Guatemalan culture , being present in various legends and myths. It was considered divine and associated with Quetzalcoatl , a feathered serpent and god of life, light, knowledge and the winds, by pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations. Its scintillating green tail feathers, symbolizes spring plant sprout, were venerated by

8366-709: Was formed more than 3 million years ago, as part of the Isthmus of Panama , when its portion of land connected each side of water. In the Pre-Columbian era , the northern areas of Central America were inhabited by the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica . Most notable among these were the Mayans , who had built numerous cities throughout the region, and the Aztecs , who had created a vast empire. The pre-Columbian cultures of eastern El Salvador, eastern Honduras, Caribbean Nicaragua, most of Costa Rica and Panama were predominantly speakers of

8460-444: Was observed that males generally give more food, namely insects, than females. Nestlings are often neglected and even abandoned by females near the end of the rearing period, leaving it up to the male to continue caring for the offspring until they are ready to survive on their own. During the incubation period, parents land and rotate their heads side to side before entering the nest, a process known as "bowing in". This process ends when

8554-474: Was replaced by the Republic of Colombia in 1886. As part of the Republic of Colombia, Panama State was abolished and it became the Isthmus Department . Despite the many political reorganizations, Colombia was still deeply plagued by conflict, which eventually led to the secession of Panama on 3 November 1903. Only after that time did some begin to regard Panama as a North or Central American entity. By

8648-401: Was seen in the coniferous woody vegetation of Honduras. The Central American pine-oak forests ecoregion, in the tropical and subtropical coniferous forests biome, is found in Central America and southern Mexico. The Central American pine-oak forests occupy an area of 111,400 square kilometers (43,000 sq mi), extending along the mountainous spine of Central America, extending from

8742-439: Was then that the species, which used to be completely green, obtained its characteristic red chest feathers. Additionally, from that day on, the quetzal, which sang delightfully before the Spanish conquest, has been mute ever since; it will sing anew solely when the land is fully liberated. Central America Central America is a subregion of North America . Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to

8836-704: Was two times secretary and four times president of the Royal Medicine Academy of Madrid. Mociño sympathised with Joseph Bonaparte , and when the French withdrew after the Peninsular War , he was taken prisoner, accused of afrancesado . Finally, he managed to flee to France. In 1816 in Montpellier he met the naturalist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle , to whom he showed the collections he could save, and entrusted to him

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