ECOC Lecture
ECOC Lecture: The Resplendent Quetzal
Friday, November 13, 2026 from 7:45—9 pm
Know before you go
Location: Morse Auditorium
Free
Recommended for ages 13+
This event is co-hosted by the Essex County Ornithological Club. A brief meeting of the club will be held from 7:30–7:45 pm. All are welcome to attend!
Male Resplendent Quetzal leaving its nesting hole. Credit: Henry Barrantes, San Vito, Costa Rica
Join ornithologist Alan Poole for an exploration into the life and history of the Resplendent Quetzal — a dazzling, legendary bird of the highland forests of Central America. Author of the recent book Quetzals: Icons of the Cloud Forest (2023), Poole will lead us through the nesting and feeding ecology of this renowned bird, its role in Mayan and Aztec religions, and how Resplendents fit into the increasingly threatened rain forests that sustain them. In addition, we’ll take a look at what lies ahead for this (and other) quetzals — how conservation efforts are giving them a boost in some regions, while in others the birds are struggling. This talk will touch on land use in Central America, especially Costa Rica, through a quetzal lens. No species does more to bring current land use trends in this region into focus. Understanding those trends is key to maintaining the viability of highland tropical forests in the Americas, and the quetzals that depend on them.
A book signing will follow the program.
Alan Poole
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