Alagoas Curassow vs White-crested Guan
Mitu mitu compared with Penelope pileata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Alagoas Curassow | White-crested Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu mitu | Penelope pileata |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Extinct in the Wild | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 79.2 cm (31.2 in) | 64.4 cm (25.4 in) |
| Weight | 2852.5 g (100.62 oz) | 1305.0 g (46.03 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in the ground and forest understorey. Extinct in wild; … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Brazilian Amazonian and transition forests. Forages in canopy … |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 3-4 |
| 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.
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
Alagoas Curassow
Endemic to northeastern Brazil in Alagoas. Extinct in the wild; survives only in captivity. Last wild record was 1980s.
White-crested Guan
Endemic to central and western Amazonian Brazil in Pará and Amazonas. Found in tall terra firme rainforest.
Conservation Status
Alagoas Curassow
White-crested 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 …
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
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.
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.