Pharomachrus pavoninus
Silhouette: Jamie Whitehouse · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 159 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 254th most-seen of the 550 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, May, August and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pavonine Quetzal in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in March–April, June–July, September–October and December–January, 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.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Pavonine Quetzal sightings, Tambopata National Reserve has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Manu National Park (Peru, under 5%) and Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (Ecuador, under 5%).
Same family: Trogonidae
The closest relatives of the Pavonine Quetzal that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (family Trogonidae, Trogons) are Black-tailed Trogon (about 30%), Blue-crowned Trogon (about 20%) and Collared Trogon (about 20%), 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 Tambopata National Reserve (159 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.
