Today we are going to look again at a blog page that I had done several months back on the Quetzal. The Quetzal stands not only for the beautiful bird of Central America but it also stands for the money in Guatemala.The quetzal was introduced in 1925 during the term of President José María Orellana, whose image appears on the obverse of the one-quetzal bill. It replaced the peso.
Today the exchange rate for teh Quetzal is:1 US Dollar = 7.95600 Guatemalan Quetzal
1 Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ) = 0.12569 US Dollar (USD)
The National Bird for Guatemala is also the Quetzal. This beautiful bird is also on the currency for the country of Guatemala.Unfortunately, these striking birds are threatened in Guatemala and elsewhere throughout their range. They are sometimes trapped for captivity or killed, but their primary threat is the disappearance of their tropical forest homes. In some areas, most notably Costa Rica's cloud forests, protected lands preserve habitat for the birds and provide opportunities for ecotourists and eager bird watchers from around the globe.
Today the Quetzal has become the nation symbol of Guatemala. Images of the Quetzal are everywhere, including the basic unit of currency. None the less, as a result of habitat degradation Quetzals themselves are becoming increasingly scarce. The Quetzal resides within the misty depths of high altitude cloud forest and is known to shy away from the prying presence of visitors.