Nesting Behavior and Nestling Care of the Pavonine Quetzal (Pharomachrus pavoninus)

Abstract

I describe the nesting behavior of the Pavonine Quetzal (Pharomachrus pavoninus) at Los Amigos in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon. I found a single nest cavity 4.2 m above ground in a dead snag in terra firme forest. The cavity contained two pale blue eggs each with a few small brown-buff speckles, of which one hatched. I observed incubation between 18 February and 2 March 2004. Based on an average of 0.7 observation hrs/day, the male appeared to incubate during most of the day from at least 0950 hrs until sunset (near 1745 hrs) when the pair would switch before nightfall. The female appeared to incubate at night and during the early morning. Fifty-six percent of 32 food deliveries observed between 6 and 26 March were tree frogs and 44% were fruits. The nestling fledged on 26 March, 20 days after the first observed food provisioning. The nestling period is estimated to be 21–24 days. The plumage development of the nestling, vocalizations, and other observations are discussed and compared with the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno).