Quetzals: Icons of the Cloud Forest

Illustrated talk, presented July 28, 2024 by renowned ornithologist and author Alan F. Poole

Hosted by HLFM director Pierce Rafferty

Alan Poole presents this illustrated talk based on his new book, “Quetzals: Icons of the Cloud Forest”, that celebrates one of the world’s most alluring group of birds and the forests that nurture them.

Native to the cloud forests of Mexico, and Central and South America, quetzals have played an essential role in the cultures of those lands, where their radiant, brightly colored feathers have been worshipped as sacred objects and coveted as luxury goods for millennia. Drawing on scientific and historical facts, Poole details the natural history and cultural significance of these legendary birds.

Alan F. Poole, an Associate of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is the former editor of Birds of North America and the author of Ospreys: The Revival of a Global Raptor.