quetzalli

Quetzalli in Nahuatl means 'precious feather' or 'tall upright feather' — from quetzal (the tail feather of Pharomachrus mocinno, the resplendent quetzal) and the suffix -tli indicating preciousness. The bird itself was called quetzal tototl — 'precious-feather bird' — in Nahuatl, and its long, iridescent tail feathers, which can reach a meter in length, were among the most valuable materials in Mesoamerican economics. The feathers were reserved for royalty: only the tlatoani (emperor) and the highest nobility could wear them, and trade in quetzal feathers was regulated with the same precision applied to jade and obsidian. The birds themselves were not killed — they were captured, their tail feathers removed, and the birds released, since a dead quetzal produced no more feathers.