Quetzal

This quetzal probably comes from a group of three animals, which were assigned to each other because of the identical way they had been taxidermied. Unfortunately, little is known about the benefactor, Consul I. Dornburg. He also donated ethnographic material to the museum. The Freiburger Tagblatt (No. 63) from 17 March 1911 does not explicitly mention the quetzals, but mentions "natural produce" as a donation. Quetzals display a high degree of sexual dimorphism due to the female's preferences in selecting a partner: the males have long upper tail feathers. Quetzals play an important role in the Mexican creation myth and the Quetzalcóatl cult. Since 1871, the quetzal has been a symbol of Guatemala's independence and autonomy.