384 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA — PART 2 



common on the slopes of the volcano in the Boquete area, where ac- 

 cording to Bangs (Proc. New England Zool. Club, vol. 3, 1902, p. 31), 

 he recorded it across the mountain slopes to the Caribbean side. In 

 Veraguas in early 1926 Benson secured it in the mountains back of 

 Chitra, according to Griscom (Amer. Mus. Nov. no. 280, 1927, p. 2). 

 In modern times these birds have become well known on the middle 

 and upper slopes of the Chiriqui volcano, both in the Boquete area, 

 and on the western side near Bambito and Cerro Punta. 



Because of large size and the attractive plumage of the male the 

 quetzal comes under heavy hunting pressure as human settlement 

 and activities increase near its haunts. It is threatened further as 

 forests are destroyed. In March 1954, I found them fairly common 

 on the ridge above the road-crossing on the Silla de Cerro Pando 

 west of El Volcan. Here, as many as 6 or 8 ranged in close associa- 

 tion at an elevation of 1,700 meters. They still were present here 

 in 1960, but in lesser number. On February 9 that year I watched 

 a pair at a nest hole 12 meters above the ground in a dead stub a 

 meter thick that stood in partly cleared forest. In 1965 their number 

 in this area had been much reduced. A good many are killed for 

 their beautiful tail plumes; others are shot as game to eat. Some of 

 the birds persist under these adverse conditions where forest remains, 

 but the species is one that definitely needs protection. Happily they 

 are still common in forested areas on the slopes of Baru, above the 

 lava flows back of El Volcan, and in some of the more inaccessible 

 areas behind Cerro Punta and Boquete. 



Males in life are highly attractive from their colors and their 

 graceful plumes, particularly in their undulating flight, when the long 

 upper tail coverts stream gracefully in the air. They have a variety 

 of calls, among them a curious rattling note that carries for some 

 distance. I have heard mewing, whining, complaining notes also that 

 are unlike those of other trogons with which I am familiar. Their 

 common food is the fruits of forest trees. They fly out to seize these 

 drupes without perching, as is usual in trogons. 



Beddard (Struct. Class. Birds, 1898, p. 202) noted "oil gland 

 nude." In checking, I found this true, but the structure was so 

 small that it appeared not to be functional. Quetzals show the narrow 

 ring bare of feathers around the neck immediately below the head, 

 found in the species of this family. At Cerro Punta the quetzal was 

 called guaco. 



The following notes on the life history of this subspecies are from 

 the detailed studies of Skutch (Condor, 1944, pp. 213-235) made in 



