Black Curassow vs Andean Guan
Crax alector compared with Penelope montagnii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Curassow | Andean Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crax alector | Penelope montagnii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 79.0 cm (31.1 in) | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 3106.25 g (109.57 oz) | 650.0 g (22.93 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats large fallen fruits, seeds, and invertebrates on forest floor of Amazonian and Guianan … | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean cloud forests. Forages at all levels … |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Black Curassow
Produces a deep, resonant booming call and guttural contact notes. The male's powerful boom echoes through Amazonian and Guyanan lowland forest at dawn.
Andean Guan
Emits deep, resonant honking calls and loud wing-whirring display flights. Andean cloud forest echoes with both calls and wing-whirring at dawn across multiple Penelope guans.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Curassow
Resident in the Guiana region from Venezuela and the Guianas south into northern Brazil. Found in lowland terra firme rainforest.
Andean Guan
Resident in the Andes from Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia at 1,500-3,600 m. Found in humid cloud forest and montane scrub.
Conservation Status
Black Curassow
Andean Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Black Curassow
Male is entirely glossy black except for white lower belly and undertail; curly black crest; pale bluish-white knob at bill base; no yellow tones. Female dark brownish-black, faintly barred, with …
Andean Guan
Dark olive-brown above; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast streaked white on dark background; lower belly and flanks rufous-chestnut; tail dark with slight gloss.
About These Birds
Black Curassow
A large cracid (~3.1 kg) of family Cracidae, males glossy black with a pale bill and curly frontal crest. Inhabits humid lowland forests in the Guianas, Venezuela, and northern Brazil. Forages on the forest floor and in the lower canopy for fruits, seeds, and invertebrates. Least Concern; relatively widespread in the Guiana region's large intact forest tracts.
Andean Guan
A medium-sized cracid (~650 g) of family Cracidae, with dull brown-olive plumage and a bare red throat wattle. Inhabits Andean cloud forests and forest edges from Venezuela south to Bolivia at elevations of 1,200–3,500 m. Feeds on fruits, seeds, and invertebrates. Least Concern; widespread in montane Andes and one of the more commonly encountered Penelope guans.