Wattled Guan vs White-crested Guan
Aburria aburri compared with Penelope pileata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Wattled Guan | White-crested Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aburria aburri | Penelope pileata |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 67.4 cm (26.5 in) | 64.4 cm (25.4 in) |
| Weight | 1398.3333333333333 g (49.32 oz) | 1305.0 g (46.03 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, and leaves in Andean cloud forests of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Brazilian Amazonian and transition forests. Forages in canopy … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 3-4 |
| 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.
White-crested Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and powerful wing-whirring. Calls carry through the remaining Amazonian rainforest; wing-whirring display is sustained and audible from afar.
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.
White-crested Guan
Endemic to central and western Amazonian Brazil in Pará and Amazonas. Found in tall terra firme rainforest.
Conservation Status
Wattled Guan
White-crested Guan
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.
White-crested Guan
Dark brownish-black; striking white bushy crest on crown; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast streaked white; lower belly rufous; tail dark. White crest is the unmistakable feature.
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.
White-crested Guan
A large cracid (~1.3 kg) of family Cracidae, with a distinctive white crest on the crown. Endemic to the eastern Amazon basin in central and northeastern Brazil. Inhabits humid terra firme and várzea forests. Arboreal frugivore, feeding on fruits and seeds in the canopy. Vulnerable due to ongoing deforestation and hunting in the Amazon; relies on intact primary forest.