Pharomachrus pavoninus
Silhouette: Jamie Whitehouse · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The pavonine quetzal (Pharomachrus pavoninus) is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae, the trogons. It is also known at the peacock trogon, red-billed train bearer, or viuda pico rojo in Spanish. The pavonine quetzal lives in the Neotropics, more specifically in the northern region of the Amazon basin, spreading from Colombia to Bolivia. The most notable characteristics helpful in identifying this bird are its plumage, red beak (male; females have grey bills), and its distribution - it is the only quetzal occupying the lowland rainforest east of the Andes.
The pavonine quetzal belongs to the Trogon family (Trogonidae) that falls in Trogoniformes, which differ from other birds primarily by the unique toe arrangement. As opposed to woodpeckers (family Picidae) who have the first and fourth toe facing backwards, trogons have the first and second toe positioned posteriorly, while the third and fourth remain anterior to the foot. Their toe arrangement makes them poorly suited for walking or hopping, and so trogons are most commonly seen flying or perched below canopy level. Some species, like the endangered resplendent quetzal have evolved some elaborate ornamental... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pavonine Quetzal sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 435th most-seen of the 641 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pavonine Quetzal in Manu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to December, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pavonine Quetzal sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Pavonine Quetzal sightings, Manu National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Tambopata National Reserve (Peru, under 5%).
Same family: Trogonidae
The closest relatives of the Pavonine Quetzal that you can see in Manu National Park (family Trogonidae, Trogons) are Black-tailed Trogon (about 30%), Blue-crowned Trogon (about 20%) 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 Pavonine Quetzal is recorded against all the birds logged in Manu National Park (55 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.
