What animal is associated with the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli?

The hummingbird is the animal associated with the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli.

Huitzilopochtli was the Mexica patron deity and a god of war and the sun. His name contains the Nahuatl word huītzilin, meaning “hummingbird,” and artists often portrayed him as a hummingbird or as a warrior wearing hummingbird feathers on his head and left leg.

The bird carried powerful symbolism in Aztec religion. Hummingbirds were linked with vigor, energy, warfare, and regeneration. According to Mexica belief, warriors who died in battle and women who died in childbirth could become hummingbirds and join the god in the southern realm. The bird’s sharp beak also evoked weapons and bloodletting.

The snake is a tempting wrong answer because Huitzilopochtli wielded Xiuhcoatl, the fire serpent, as a weapon. Eagles are also prominent in Mexica origin stories and Mexican national symbolism. However, the distinctive animal emblem and namesake of Huitzilopochtli is the hummingbird.