Trogon

Trogon, common name for about 39 species of birds, all remarkable for their beautiful plumage. Trogons inhabit tropical areas around the world, but are most numerous and diverse in the Americas, where 25 species are divided among 4 genera. There are three African species, and in southern Asia and the East Indies there are 11 species. Trogons have a short, broad bill that is notched, or serrated, and has a wide gape. The feet are small and weak, with the toes in pairs. The first and second toes are turned backward, instead of the first and fourth; this arrangement is unique among birds. The wings are short and somewhat pointed, and the long, broad tail is often overhung by long tail coverts. The plumage is soft, lax, and loosely attached to the delicate skin. The resplendent quetzal, found in Central America, figured in the mythologies of the pre-Columbian cultures of that region.

Scientific classification: Trogons make up the family Trogonidae of the order Trogoniformes. The resplendent quetzal is classified as Pharomachrus mocinno.