Quetzal
Flyer · 17 maps
Overview
Quetzal is a massive flying carnivore used primarily for aerial transport and combat support. It can carry large ground creatures such as Achatina, Allosaurus, Amargasaurus, and Andrewsarchus in its talons. This makes it invaluable for moving heavy or dangerous mounts across vast distances or deploying them behind enemy lines.
It excels in both resource hauling and battlefield control thanks to its high weight capacity and ability to damage structures. The Quetzal is a cornerstone of late-game aerial operations on most maps.
Spawn Locations
17 mapsThe Quetzal spawns on 17 ARK maps and is very common. It typically appears in high-altitude zones, mountain peaks, and open skies above plains or oceans. Look for its large silhouette gliding above the highest elevations for the best chance of spotting one.
Each shape is a real spawn volume. Click for exact chance and zone info.
Quetzal must be knocked out before taming. Use a Chain Bola or trap it with a Bear Trap or Large Bear Trap to immobilize it. Tranq Arrows from a Bow or Crossbow, or Tranquilizer Darts from a Longneck Rifle, are effective for sedation.
Feed it Exceptional Kibble for the fastest tame. Raw Mutton also works well if kibble is unavailable. The process takes about 96 minutes and requires roughly 409 Narcotics. Use the calculator below for your settings.
| Food | Qty | Time | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
 Exceptional KibbleBest | 17 | 49:18 | 74 Lvl (224) |
 Raw Mutton | 35 | 59:32 | 73 Lvl (223) |
 Raw Prime Meat | 44 | 1:14:50 | 72 Lvl (222) |
 Cooked Lamb Chop | 65 | 1:50:26 | 69 Lvl (219) |
 Raw Meat | 130 | 3:41:06 | 57 Lvl (207) |
| +6 more in calculator→ | |||
Drops & Harvest Resources
Killing a Quetzal yields Hide, Raw Meat, and Raw Prime Meat. The Hatchet provides the most Hide, while the Pick maximizes Raw Meat. Dinos with Prime harvest capabilities yield the highest amount of Raw Prime Meat.
| Resource |  Pick |  Hatchet |
|---|---|---|
| 40%~21~17 hits | 60%~32~13 hits | |
| 60%~24~17 hits | 40%~16~13 hits | |
| 3%~1~17 hits | 2%~1~13 hits |
Estimates based on game-extracted data (weights, quantities, harvest multipliers, damage type chains). Each harvest event independently rolls each resource - higher weight = higher drop chance. Actual yields vary with RNG.
Damage Resistances
Quetzal takes +400% more damage from spike walls, making them extremely effective for base defense. It is also highly vulnerable to explosion damage and melee attacks from metal weapons. Conversely, it has full resistance to mining drill damage and 50% resistance to most ranged turret fire. Focus on avoiding spike traps during aerial assaults.
Kill XP
Wild Kill (1.25×)18 base × 15.9 level × 4 × 1.25× wild kill × 1× server
Server Settings(Game.ini)
Official servers use non-1× defaults; the values above already reflect official rates.
Saddle Crafting XP
Base × 1× quality × 4 × 1× server
| Stat | Base (Lv.1) | Wild +/Lv | Tamed +/Lv |
|---|---|---|---|
 Health | 1200.0 | +240.00 | +1.60% |
 Stamina | 800.0 | +40.00 | +1.00% |
 Torpidity | 1850.0 | +111.00 | +0.00% |
 Oxygen | 150.0 | +15.00 | +2.00% |
 Food | 1200.0 | +120.00 | +2.00% |
 Weight | 800.0 | +16.00 | +1.00% |
 Melee Damage Multiplier | 100.0% | +4.00% | +10.00% |
 Speed Multiplier | 100.0% | +0.00% | +1.00% |
Hitbox Multipliers
The head has a 3× damage multiplier, making it the optimal target for efficient knockout taming. All other body zones take standard damage. Focus head shots when using ranged weapons to reduce taming time.
Can Damage
Can break Thatch and Wood. Build at least in Stone.
Thatch
Wood
Stone
Metal
Tek| Attack | Base | Thatch | Wood | Stone | Metal | Tek |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack 1Carnivore Large | 32 | 176.0 | 96.0 | — | — | — |
Numbers reflect base melee at level 1, 100% TE, no imprint. The damage calculator lets you scale by melee %, server multipliers, and pick a specific structure for exact hit counts.
Tools & Guides
Quetzal Tips & Tricks
The Quetzal can carry large creatures like Achatina and Allosaurus in its claws for aerial transport. This allows safe relocation of aggressive or heavy mounts over long distances.
It deals significant damage to Thatch and Wood structures, making it useful for raiding low-tier bases.
Quetzal is highly vulnerable to spike walls, taking +400% damage. Avoid flying directly over enemy perimeters with exposed spikes.
Its head is a critical hit zone, taking 3× damage. Aim for the head to KO it faster during taming.
This page details the Quetzal's taming, breeding, harvesting, and combat statistics. For precise values based on level and settings, refer to the taming calculator, breeding calculator, and spawn map located on this page.