Wattled Guan vs Helmeted Curassow
Aburria aburri compared with Pauxi pauxi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Wattled Guan | Helmeted Curassow |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aburria aburri | Pauxi pauxi |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 67.4 cm (26.5 in) | 75.9 cm (29.9 in) |
| Weight | 1398.3333333333333 g (49.32 oz) | 3150.0 g (111.11 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, and leaves in Andean cloud forests of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and … | Eats large seeds, fruits, and small invertebrates on the forest floor in Venezuelan and Colombian … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Wattled Guan
Emits a loud, resonant, booming honk and wing-whirring display. The deep, carrying boom echoes through Andean cloud forest; wing-whirring display is powerful and conspicuous.
Helmeted Curassow
Produces a deep, far-carrying booming call and guttural contact calls. The powerful boom echoes through Colombian and Venezuelan montane forest; contact calls are deep, resonant clucks.
Geographic Range & Migration
Wattled Guan
Resident in the Andes from Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia at 500-2,200 m. Found in humid montane forest.
Helmeted Curassow
Resident in the Andes foothills of Venezuela and Colombia at 200-1,500 m. Found in humid lowland and foothill forest. Vulnerable.
Conservation Status
Wattled Guan
Helmeted Curassow
How to Tell Them Apart
Wattled Guan
Uniformly glossy greenish-black; prominent pendulous yellow-and-blue bare throat wattle; no white wing patches or streaking; legs dark grey. Striking yellow wattle is the sole bold adornment.
Helmeted Curassow
Glossy black throughout; white lower belly and vent; spectacular large grey-blue casque on forehead; red bill; no crest; legs red. The grey-blue helmet-like casque is unmistakable and unique.
About These Birds
Wattled Guan
A large cracid (~1.4 kg) of family Cracidae, all-black with a distinctive yellow and blue wattle hanging from the throat. Inhabits montane cloud forests of the Andes from Venezuela and Colombia south to Peru, at 500–2,500 m elevation. Arboreal, feeding on fruits and seeds. Least Concern; inhabits remote Andean cloud forests where it remains relatively undisturbed.
Helmeted Curassow
A large cracid (~3.2 kg) of family Cracidae, bearing a remarkable light blue casque on the forehead. Inhabits humid montane forests of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela at 600–2,000 m elevation. Forages on the forest floor for fallen fruits, seeds, and invertebrates. Vulnerable due to deforestation of Andean forests and heavy hunting pressure for its substantial meat.