The Quetzal is the creature every Ark player points at in the sky and says “one day.”
It is also the hardest of the common flyers to actually catch, because it is built to run from you.
Why you want it
Aerial base. The platform saddle turns a Quetzal into a flying workshop. You build on its back: forge, bed, turret, garden. It moves while the base stays put.
Heavy hauler. At 500 drag weight it carries more than almost anything that flies, which makes resource runs across the map trivial.
Turret platform. A turret mounted on a Quetzal controls the air above any fight. Few things answer that.
Mobility. It is not the fastest flyer, but nothing else combines range, capacity and a build surface in one body.
The numbers
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Group | Reptiles |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Temperament | Skittish |
| Preferred Kibble | Exceptional (Extra Large Egg) |
| Preferred Food | Raw Mutton |
| Saddle | Level 76 |
| Platform Saddle | Level 97 |
| Drag Weight | 500 |
Skittish is the entire problem. A Quetzal flees the moment you close in, and a fleeing flyer is a moving target that does not come back.
Where to find them
Quetzals circle high above the map, usually over open terrain and away from ridges. You see them as dots against the sky long before you are close enough to matter.
They do not land in convenient places. The taming plan has to account for the fact that they will not sit still for you.
How to knock it out
Chase on a flyer. The standard method is a fast mount — an Argentavis or Pteranodon — flown alongside the Quetzal while a passenger shoots it with tranquiliser darts. Stay level with it and keep firing; it flees in a straight line more often than not.
Or build a sky pen. On a tall rock spire, build a taming pen with a single opening at the top. Lure the Quetzal in by hovering your flyer just above the gap, then seal it and shoot from inside. This is slower to set up but far safer than the chase.
Use darts, not arrows. A mounted passenger firing tranq darts keeps the torpor climbing while the pilot holds position. Arrows from a moving flyer miss more than they hit.
Watch the fall. A Quetzal knocked out at altitude drops. Either tame low or build the pen where the body will land safely.
What to feed it
| Food | Type |
|---|---|
| Exceptional Kibble | Preferred, made from an Extra Large Egg |
| Raw Mutton | Fallback |
| Raw Prime Meat | Fallback |
Exceptional Kibble needs an Extra Large Egg, so you are typically deep into breeding before you can craft it. Raw mutton tames a Quetzal fine and is the realistic option for most players attempting their first one.
The saddle gate
The Quetzal saddle unlocks at level 76, and the platform saddle at level 97.
The platform saddle is the prize. A level 76 Quetzal is a great hauler; a level 97 Quetzal with a platform is a mobile stronghold. Time the tame around whichever you actually need.
After the tame
Build the platform carefully and keep weight in mind. A flying base is only useful if it can still get off the ground.
Use it for the jobs nothing else does: crossing the map with a full load, controlling airspace over a raid, or simply having a bed and forge wherever you land.
Two bites
The Quetzal is the only common flyer that refuses to be tamed the easy way, and that refusal is exactly why it is worth having. A level 97 platform Quetzal is not a tame, it is a second base with wings.
Common mistakes
- Chasing on foot or a slow mount. A skittish flyer outruns both; use a fast flyer.
- Knocking it out at altitude. It drops; build low or pen it.
- Forgetting the platform saddle gate. Level 97 is the real unlock.
- Overbuilding the platform. Weight kills lift; build light.
Related guides
- How to tame an Argentavis — the mount you chase Quetzals with.
- Best tames guide — where the Quetzal ranks among flyers.
- Taming guide — how knockout taming and effectiveness work.