Pharomachrus auriceps
Silhouette: Jamie Whitehouse · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The golden-headed quetzal or corequenque (Pharomachrus auriceps) is a strikingly coloured bird in the genus Pharomachrus. It is found in moist mid-elevation forests from eastern Panama to northern Bolivia. The golden-headed quetzal is known for its iridescent green colour, which it shares with other quetzals, and its distinctive golden head. The female of the species is less brightly coloured, displaying more brown tones than the male. The golden-headed quetzal's diet consists mainly of fruit, and occasionally insects. It is generally a solitary and quiet bird unless it is breeding season, when the male and female become a monogamous pair and create a cavity nest in an old tree. During breeding season both sexes share brooding and feeding duties for 25–30 days until the chick is ready to fledge. The golden-headed quetzal is fairly common and considered a species of least concern.
The golden-headed quetzal, also known by the Spanish name pilco real, was first described by John Gould in the 2nd edition of A Monograph of the Trogonidae or family of Trogons published in 1875. It is one of five birds in the genus Pharomachrus, known as quetzals, and is included in the family... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sedgwick County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Dallas World Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-headed Quetzal sighting in Los Nevados National Natural Park on a given day, based on 189 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 187th most-seen of the 424 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, June and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-headed Quetzal in Los Nevados National Natural Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, July and September–December, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden-headed Quetzal sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Golden-headed Quetzal sightings, Los Nevados National Natural Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (Colombia, under 5%).
Same family: Trogonidae
The closest relatives of the Golden-headed Quetzal that you can see in Los Nevados National Natural Park (family Trogonidae, Trogons) are Masked Trogon (about 10%) and Collared Trogon (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Golden-headed Quetzal is recorded against all the birds logged in Los Nevados National Natural Park (189 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
