This quetzal design is one of several I tried out on a set of dinnerware in an attempt to accommodate the bird's long tail in a work of art. On the Internet the tail of the resplendent male is described as reaching over 30 inches. I view that as a conservative estimate. Unless the artist invests in a wall-sized artwork it is impossible to both do justice to the body covered in gold-green, forest-green, white and scarlet feathers and still have room for the extremely long tail. Watching the female birds get in and out of their holes in trees would be a marvel to watch as the tail has to fold up. I have seen the bird myself, but only at a distance. I thought the tails on one bird that flew over my head looked about four feet long, just my impression... Whatever the actual facts, in the remote rain-forests the tail of the male grows extremely long.