Salvin's curassow

Mitu salvini

Photo by Thierry Garcia (Reserva Biológica del Rio Bigal)

Common name:
Salvin's curassow (en); mutum-de-ventre-branco (pt); hocco de Salvin (fr); paujil culiblanco (es); Salvinhokko (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Cracidae

Range:
This species is found in the lowlands of southern Colombia and northern Ecuador, east of the Andes.

Size:
These birds are 75-89 cm long and weigh about 3 kg.

Habitat:
The Salvin's curassow is found in terra firme primary rainforests, avoiding flooded areas. They are present from seal level up to an altitude of 600 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on fallen fruits, also taking seeds and, to a lesser extent, leaves and insects.

Breeding:
Salvin's curassows are monogamous and the nest is made of leaves and placed at moderate height on a tree branch or vine. The female lays 2 eggs, which are incubated for 4-5 weeks.
The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching, but are fed by both parents until they learn to pick food from the ground. Each pair can raise 4 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 50.000 individuals. The Salvin's curassow suffers from heavy hunting pressure, mainly for local food consumption, and a model of Amazonian deforestation predicts the species will lose about 11% of suitable habitats in the next 3 decades. Both suggest the species may suffer a small decline in the near future.

Helmeted curassow

Pauxi pauxi

Photo by Greg Hume (World Bird Info)

Common name:
helmeted curassow (en); mutum-de-capacete (pt); hocco à pierre (fr); paují de yelmo (es); helmhokko (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Cracidae

Range:
This species is found in western Venezuela and northern Colombia. The subspecies P. p. pauxi is found from the Cordillera de la Costa west to the Cordillera de Mérida, in Venezuela, on the north-eastern slopes of the East Andes in Colombia and adjacent Venezuela, and in three mountain ranges in Falcón, Venezuela. The subspecies P. p. gilliardi is only found in Sierra de Perijá along the Colombian-Venezuelan border.

Size:
These birds are 80-100 cm long and weigh 2,5-3,6 kg

Habitat:
The helmeted curassow is only found in sub-tropical cloud forests with dense undergrowth, usually favouring humid gorges an avoiding forest edges. They are present at altitudes of 500-2.200 m.

Diet:
They forage on the forest floor, taking fallen fruits, seeds, tender leaves, buds, and also small rodents, reptiles and insects.

Breeding:
Helmeted curassows breed in March-May. Males attract females by offering them food held in its beak. The nest is placed in a tree, 5-15 m above the ground, where the female lays 2 cream-coloured eggs. The eggs are incubated for about 30 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching, but are fed by both parents until they learn to pick food from the ground.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a relatively large, but fragmented breeding range. The global population is estimated at 1.000-2.500 individuals, and is suspected to be declining at a moderate rate due to habitat loss and hunting. Deforestation is a problem in both Venezuela and Colombia, mostly for cattle ranching and narcotics cultivation, while hunting for food is probably increasing as infrastructure development makes some areas more accessible. The helmeted curassow's range is protected by several nature reserves, but this has not averted threats. Captive breeding programmes are underway in Colombia and in the United States.

Marail guan

Penelope marail

Photo by Marc Chrétien (GEPOG)

Common name:
marail guan (en); jacumirim (pt); pénélope marail (fr); pava marail (es); marailguan (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Cracidae

Range:
This species is found in northern South America, in the Guyanas, Suriname, eastern Venezuela, and in northern Brazil, north of the Amazon river.

Size:
These birds are 55-73 cm long and weigh 950-1.150 g.

Habitat:
The marail guan is found in tropical rainforests, favouring tall, terra firme forests in lowland areas up to an altitude of 700 m, often near water.

Diet:
They feed on forest fruits, especially fleshy fruits and berries. Because of their frugivorous diet they are an important seed disperser in the forests within their range. Occasionally, they also take insects.

Breeding:
They nest in a cup placed in a fork high up on a tree, where the female lays 2-3 eggs. The eggs are incubated for about 30 days. The chick are able to leave the nest soon after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The marail guan is expected to loose 4 % of their habitats within the next 10 years based on a model of Amazonian deforestation. Given its susceptibility to hunting and trapping, it is suspected to decline in the near future, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Black curassow

Crax aleactor

Photo by Patrick Ingremeau (Oiseaux)

Common name:
black curassow (en); mutum-poranga (pt); hocco alector (fr); paujil negro (es); glattschnabelhokko (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Cracidae

Range:
This species is found in northern South America, from central Colombia and Venezuela, through the Guyanas and intro Brazil north of the Amazon river.

Size:
These birds are 85-95 cm long and weigh 3,2-3,6 kg.

Habitat:
The black curassow is found in tropical rainforests and gallery forests, but also in old plantations and scrublands, especially along rivers and forest edges. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on fruits, especially those of Eugenia and Guarea, but will also take leaves, buds, shoots, invertebrates such as snails and grasshoppers, frogs, flowers and mushrooms.

Breeding:
Black curassow breed in December-September. The nest is a small platform made of sticks, lined with leaves and bark, placed in a tree about 5 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated for 30-32 days. The chicks can leave the nest soon after hatching and fledge about 1 month later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. However, the black curassoe is espected to decline at a moderatle fast rate based on current models of Amazonian deforestation, also being threatened by hunting and trapping, particularly in French Guiana.

Horned guan

Oreophasis derbianus

Photo by Thor Janson (Revue)

Common name:
horned guan (en); jacu-cornudo (pt); oréophase cornu (fr); pavón cornudo (es); zapfenguan (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Cracidae

Range:
This species is found in western and central Guatemala and in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in southern Mexico.

Size:
These birds are 81-91 cm long and weigh up to 2,4 kg.

Habitat:
The horned guan is found in cloud forests with luxuriant undergrowth, at altitudes of 2.000-3.500 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on fruits, flowers and leaves, but can also take some invertebrates.

Breeding:
Horned guans are polygynous, with each male mating with 3-5 females. They breed in January-July and nest high in the canopy, up to 20 m above the ground. The female lays 2 eggs, which she incubates alone for 33-36 days. The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching, but may remain with their mother for several months.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a very small and severely fragmented breeding range. The global population is estimated at just 600-1.700 individuals and is suspected to be declining slowly, mainly due to the clearance and degradation of cloud forests through logging, firewood-gathering and agricultural expansion, especially coffee plantations. Hunting for subsistence by local populations and forest degradation by roaming cattle are further threats to the horned guan.

Chaco chachalaca

Ortalis canicollis

Photo by Ian Barker (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Chaco chachalaca (en); aracuã-d0-Pantanal (pt); ortalide du Chaco (fr); charata (es); Chacoguan (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Galliformes
Family Cracidae


Range:
This South American birds are found in the Chaco region of south-eastern Bolivia, northern Argentina, Paraguay and south-western Mato Grosso, Brazil.


Size:
These birds are 50-56 cm long and weigh 480-600 g.


Habitat:
The Chaco chachalaca is mostly found in swamp forests and moist scrublands, but also in dry savannas, dry forests and plantations. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.


Diet:
They mostly eat fruits, herbaceous leaves, seeds and flowers, but can also eat caterpillars and other invertebrates.


Breeding:
Chaco chachalacas breed in November-February. The nest is a shallow platform, made with sticks, stems and leaves, placed in a tree 2-4 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-4 eggs, which she incubates alone for 24 days. The chicks leave the nest very soon after hatching, but will receive food from parents for the first few days.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is declining due to habitat destruction caused by overgrazing, fires and wood extraction. It is also hunted and kept as a cage bird, but overall the Chaco chachalaca is not considered threatened at present.

Black-fronted piping-guan

Pipile jacutinga

Photo by Haroldo Palo (Animais em Extinção)

Common name:

black-fronted piping-guan (en); jacutinga (pt); pénélope à front noir (fr); yacutinga (es); schwarzmaskenguan (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Galliformes

Family Cracidae

Range:

The black-fronted piping-guan is endemic to the Atlantic forest of south-east Brazil, north-east Argentina and south-east Paraguay.

Size:

They are 63-74 cm long and weigh 1,1-1,4 kg.

Habitat:

These birds are found in primary or selectively logged humid forests, being strongly associated with the forest palm Euterpe edulis. They are usually found in lowland areas, but may be present in coastal mountains up to an altitude of 900 m.

Diet:

The black-fronted piping-guan is mostly frugivorous, eating the fruits of forest palm Euterpe edulis, but also from figs Ficus, araçazeiros Psidium, bicuiba Virola, pindaúba Xylopia, and guarumo Cecropia. They also eat insects and molluscs where possible, as well as seeds, grains and buds.

Breeding:

These birds breed in August-January. Each pair builds a platform-like nest of twigs in a tree-fork, where the female lays 2-4 white eggs. The eggs are incubated for 28 days and the chicks fledge 30 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - EN (Endangered)

The black-fronted piping-guan has a relatively small breeding range and a global population estimated at 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population is believed to be facing a very rapid decline owing to very high levels of hunting combined with the effects of habitat loss and degradation.

Rufous-headed chachalaca

Ortalis erythroptera

Photo by Roberto Pujana (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

rufous-headed chachalaca (en); aracuã-de-cabeça-ruiva (pt); ortalide à tête rousse (fr); chachalaca cabecirrufa (es); rotkopfguan (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Galliformes

Family Cracidae

Range:

This South American species is only found in the extreme south-west of Colombia, along the western parts of Ecuador, and in the north-west of Peru.

Size:

These birds are 56-66 cm long. Males tend to be larger than females, with males weighing 900 g and females 760 g.

Habitat:

They traditionally inhabit dry and deciduous woodland, lowland riparian forests, humid lowland forests and lower mountain cloud-forests up to an altitude of 1850 m. They are also found in degraded forest habitats, scrubland, and even agricultural land.

Diet:

They mostly eat fruits and other plant material. Birds have been seen eating coffee berries and bananas. Their diet may also occasionally include insects.

Breeding:

The rufous-headed chachalaca is a monogamous species. They possibly breed during the wet season, in December-May. Females lay an average 3 eggs.

Conservation:

IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)

With a total population of less than 10.000 individuals, the rufous-headed chachalaca is believed to be declining due to habitat destruction and fragmentation. In Ecuador, lowland forests currently cover less than 5% of their original extent. In the higher parts of the species range, deforestation has been slower, but logging, cattle-ranching and oil palm plant are slowly destroying and fragmenting the habitat.