The resplendent quetzal, the godlike birds of pre-Columbian lore, are found in Mexico, with only one species found as far north as Mexico. The bird was associated with Quetzalcóatl, the feathered-serpent god of life, light, knowledge and the winds. The species was not officially recognized by science until 1832 by naturalist Pablo de la Llave, director of Mexico’s National Museum of Natural History. The best spot to see the birds in Mexico is the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, a state park in 1990 and a UNESCO international biosphere reserve in 1993, with its biodiversity including 997 different plants, 112 mammals, and nearly 100 amphibian and reptile species.