The Quetzal, the Bird of Guatemala

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The quetzal is a beautiful bird. It is the national bird of Guatemala, and you can see it on the flag.

The quetzal lives in the cloud forest. This forest is in the mountains, and the air is cool and wet. The quetzal has green feathers that shine in the sun, and a red chest. The male has a very long tail. It can be more than sixty centimeters long!

The quetzal eats fruit. It loves small wild avocados. Sometimes it eats insects, too.

Quetzals are shy, and they are hard to see. Some people wait in the forest for hours, and they go home without seeing one. But the lucky people remember the green tail in the light. They never forget it.

There is one more surprise. The money of Guatemala has the same name. When you pay with quetzales, you pay with the name of a bird.