Ark Survival Evolved Quetzal: How To Tame & Role

Ark Survival Evolved has a beautiful open-world survival gameplay experience for the players. Whether you are a new or veteran player, it might be common knowledge that animals are the norm, whether wild, roaming around, or tamed.

From the collection of animals available, the Quetzal is a unique one, and in our Ark Survival Evolved Quetzal guide, we will uncover how to tame it, what its roles are, and what kind of food it is required to tame it.

If you are a completely new player, then you might want to read up on our Ark Survival Evolved Complete Starter guide to get more familiarised with the gameplay!

What is a Quetzal in Ark Survival Evolved

The Quetzal in Ark freely flies in open skies and typically circles around. When attacked, its first instinct is to flee. Quetzals resemble Pteranodons but avoid ground areas.

Though weaker in combat and unable to attack, they’re skittish and will run when startled, making taming challenging. Tamed Quetzals lose speed if startled, serving various player roles. They’re among Ark’s largest flying creatures, with long necks and a carnivorous diet. There are two types: normal and Tek Quetzals, the latter being rare, with only a 5% spawn rate and 20% higher stats than normal Quetzals.

Roles of a Quetzal 

Before knowing how exactly Ark players can tame Quetzals, let’s take a deep dive into the role of quetzals and how they can serve you when they have been fully tamed. Below listed are a few of their main roles. 

Taming Mount for Titanosaur 

For those players that want to tame a Titanosaur, they will almost always require a quetzal, and you will also need to have turrets installed on its platform saddle. Other animals are pretty slow and will not be able to keep their pace with which the Titanosaur will try to escape; therefore, using a Quetzal is the best option. 

Use As An Air Base 

Another purpose that Ark Quetzals can serve is that they can be used as an air base when you are in the air on the hunt for other animals to tame. The main reason is that since Quetzals do not require that high of a stamina count, they can provide ample mobility while airborne. 

Using in Battle 

With the sheer amount of stamina and HP that the Quetzal has, they can be used as an Aerial assault weapon, and when combined with its tribe members and turrets that have been installed on the platform, it can do great!

Carrier Bird 

Another thing you can consider doing is using it as a carrier bird, meaning that since the size of a quetzal is pretty big, it can easily carry medium-sized animals, and you can drop them anywhere that is needed. 

Pack-mule Quetzal 

The next role that a quetzal in Ark can fulfill is that it can travel far-places on the open map; it can protect the player from predatory animals blocking the main path and taking them on with ultimate ease.

Use As a Fishing Mount 

With the long length of its beak, the Quetzal can deep dive from the air, reach into the depths of the water, grab hold of fish, and then fish them out, which can be used as food or fodder later on. 

Gatherer of Resources 

Next up, the Quetzal will also deem it important whenever it can carry resources. While carrying animals like the Ankylosaurus or the Therizinosaur, it can harvest tougher resources that would otherwise take hours in a matter of few minutes. 

Co-Op Transport 

While you are in a coop session with your friends and want to take them across dangerous areas, if you happen to have tamed an Ark Quetzal, you are in luck since it can transport and carry other tribe members across islands. 

Damage dealing 

Lastly, this role isn’t recommended but can be done; while mounting the Quetzal, players can use creative methods to attack other animals and take them down. 

Food Required 

The recommended food to tame Quetzals includes Exceptional Kibble, Raw Mutton, Raw Prime Meat, Cooked Lamb Chop, Cooked Prime Meat, or Rex Kibble. Both the exceptional kibble as well as the raw prime meat are put in priority as compared to the other food options.  The levels will drastically increase the amount of time it takes for the player to feed creatures in Ark.

Possible Complications 

While ark players might be highly interested in taming Quetzals and using them for transport or as a platform to hunt down other animals and capture them, there are a few set complications that can never be ignored. 

Always Airborne 

One main thing that irks most players wanting to capture and tame quetzals is that while they haven’t been tamed, wild quetzals will never roam the ground or land. They will always stay airborne, and players in Ark are left to tame these quetzals on their own accord while they are still in the air. 

Rare Species 

Another major complication that can hinder the taming process is that wild quetzals are rare. Not only do they appear scarcely, but once they get sighted, and you are in a position to capture them, there is a chance that you might not even be able to capture them. 

The 50-50 Bug 

In some versions of the game, there is a glitch whereby the Quetzal will instantly start to fly towards the 50:50 area of the map when it has been startled and starts to flee in Ark Survival Evolved. Unfortunately, it is also one of the areas on the map that crosses a river full of predators that can kill players. 

Headshot Modifier 

While the Quetzal does have a headshot modifier, it is important to keep in mind that the weak points are pretty small in terms of the hitbox. Therefore, it can take a lot of tries to bring down the Quetzal. 

Quetzal Taming Methods in Ark Survival Evolved

Moving on, let’s look into some of the methods that might work to capture Quetzals in Ark; some are less time-consuming, while the other methods will be pretty unconventional. 

Griffin Method 

The first method is the Griffin method, which could be one of the most straightforward methods, but one thing to note is that this method will only be available on the Ragnarok map and will need to be transferred to other maps if you play on it. 

The main reason why Ark players will find it so easy and time-saving to use a griffin is that while you are mounted on the griffin itself, not only can you drive it forward, but players will also be able to reload and then shoot while holding their weapons, making multitasking a breeze.

Pteranodon and Grappling Hook Method 

Use a Pteranodon and a grappling hook to lure and tame a Quetzal. This unconventional method is quicker than other methods if you ask me.

1. Make a Pteranodon follow you.
2. Shoot it with a grappling hook until it lands.
3. If on a cliff, jump off.
4. Activate the grappling hook to have the Pteranodon attach above you in the air.
5. Search for the Quetzal, whistle to direct the Pteranodon toward it, and shoot it down.
6. Repeat the “whistle method” until you successfully tame the Quetzal.

Tapejara Passenger Seat Method 

Another method that can work but will be more unconventional is using a tapejara and sitting in the passenger seat while aiming to tame a Quetzal. Whenever you can have the tapejara follow you, make sure to be on the edge of a cliff going down a taller mountain. 

The second the tapejara comes near you, immediately enter the menu, click “sit in the passenger seat,” and continue to glide forward until you can glide and keep heading forward. The tapejara will attempt to land back onto the ground, and before it gets the chance to, ensure that you whistle so that it isn’t able to. 

Argentavis and Scorpion Method

The most time-consuming and frustrating method for Ark players involves using an Argentavis with a stamina-stat and a Damage-stat equipped Scorpion. The Scorpion must be provoked to ensure it can deal damage. Once in the air, approach a quetzal closely and position the Scorpion near its head. This allows the Scorpion to attack the quetzal, making it easier to weaken and subdue.

Though this method has a high failure rate, some players opt for it to eliminate high-level quetzals with a few Scorpion hits efficiently. It’s advisable to use this approach on quetzals above level 60, as they have balanced torpor and health.

Snow Owl Method 

A snow owl has an ability whereby it can freeze animals and cause them to become stunned for a certain amount of time, and while the sun does not last for a long time, it is enough to take a few shots at the animal, have them go unconscious, and then tame them. 

Once you are near an Ark Survival Evolved Quetzal while being present in the sky, use the snow owl’s freeze ability to cause it to fall to the ground. After it has successfully been put down to the ground, you can use a trap placed on top before it can fly away after being unfrozen. 

Wyvern Technique 

Another technique that players can try out is using a Wyvern animal. There is a small technique whereby if a wyvern has been following you for a certain period and you are in the air, you can dismount and then stand on top of its neck. The neck can act as a platform floating in the air, whereby players can launch shots at the Quetzal. 

Once the Wyvern gets almost too close to the Quetzal, back off and let it fly away just enough to where there is a small distance between you and the Quetzal. After that, stand on top of the Wyvern’s neck, aim for the Quetzal, and continue landing shots at it one after the other. After consistently shooting at it, it will eventually fall to the ground and collapse, making it even easier to tame.

Platform Saddle 

The safest method, if you already have a tamed quetzal, is to use it for capturing another. Create a platform on the tamed quetzal to make trapping and luring easier. Ensure the platform has sides taller than the average quetzal height, or it might escape. Leave the top or side of the carrier open for the quetzal to land inside.

Locate a quetzal and let it fly into the carrier. Once it’s inside, lower the roof to prevent it from flying away. Monitor your stamina; running out while the Quetzal hovers can cause it to fall and die. Don’t leave the Quetzal unattended during the wait, as it might fall if you don’t track its movements carefully.

With that, we will wrap up our Ark Survival Evolved Quetzal guide; we hope you liked it! Don’t miss out on our Ark Survival Evolved Cave guide!