ECOC Lecture: The Resplendent Quetzal

Join ornithologist Alan Poole for an exploration into the life and history of the Resplendent Quetzal — a dazzling, legendary bird of the highland forests of Central America. Author of the recent book Quetzals: Icons of the Cloud Forest (2023), Poole will lead us through the nesting and feeding ecology of this renowned bird, its role in Mayan and Aztec religions, and how Resplendents fit into the increasingly threatened rain forests that sustain them. In addition, we’ll take a look at what lies ahead for this (and other) quetzals — how conservation efforts are giving them a boost in some regions, while in others the birds are struggling. This talk will touch on land use in Central America, especially Costa Rica, through a quetzal lens. No species does more to bring current land use trends in this region into focus. Understanding those trends is key to maintaining the viability of highland tropical forests in the Americas, and the quetzals that depend on them.

A book signing will follow the program.