Quetzal Bird in the Weltmuseum in Vienna

A nineteenth-century taxidermy mount of a Quetzal bird in the Weltmuseum Wien. This small bird with its famous long tail feathers was not indigenous to the Aztec Empire but the Aztec’s military power ensured that the highly valued feathers were delivered regularly as tribute. The natural habitat of the endangered Quetzal bird is in southern Mexico and especially Guatemala, where it appears on the national flag and in the name of the currency.