Alagoas Curassow vs Horned Guan
Mitu mitu compared with Oreophasis derbianus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Alagoas Curassow | Horned Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu mitu | Oreophasis derbianus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Extinct in the Wild | Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 79.2 cm (31.2 in) | 74.1 cm (29.2 in) |
| Weight | 2852.5 g (100.62 oz) | 2072.8 g (73.12 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in the ground and forest understorey. Extinct in wild; … | Frugivorous; eats fruits, especially bromeliads, leaves, and invertebrates in Mexican and Guatemalan cloud forests. Endangered. |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Alagoas Curassow
Extirpated from wild (EW). Calls documented from captive birds: a deep, resonant booming similar to Razor-billed Curassow; flocks give low, guttural clucking contact calls.
Horned Guan
Emits a deep, resonant booming call and loud wing-whirring display. The extraordinary, far-carrying boom is one of the most powerful calls in the cloud forest; wing-whirring is vigorous.
Geographic Range & Migration
Alagoas Curassow
Endemic to northeastern Brazil in Alagoas. Extinct in the wild; survives only in captivity. Last wild record was 1980s.
Horned Guan
Endemic to the volcanic highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, and adjacent Guatemala at 2,000-3,300 m. Found in cloud forest. Endangered.
Conservation Status
Alagoas Curassow
Horned Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Alagoas Curassow
Glossy black body; white lower belly and undertail; massive compressed red bill with orange-yellow tip; no head ornamentation. Now extinct in wild; the large red razor bill was its most …
Horned Guan
Black above with white streaking; white below with black streaking; extraordinary erect red horn on crown; bare red facial skin; white iris; legs red. The horn is unique among cracids.
About These Birds
Alagoas Curassow
A large cracid (~2.9 kg) of family Cracidae, with glossy black plumage and a distinctive red knobbed bill. Extinct in the Wild; the last wild individuals disappeared from Alagoas, Brazil by the 1980s due to deforestation of the Atlantic Forest. A captive population survives in Brazilian zoos, with reintroduction programs underway. One of the most critically imperiled birds globally.
Horned Guan
A large cracid (~2 kg) of family Cracidae, unique for a bright red bony horn projecting from the crown. Endemic to cloud forests above 2,000 m in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas of Mexico and adjacent Guatemala. Feeds on fruits and leaves in the forest canopy. Endangered; one of the world's most distinctive birds, threatened by cloud forest loss and hunting.