Alagoas Curassow vs Crestless Curassow
Mitu mitu compared with Mitu tomentosum
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Alagoas Curassow | Crestless Curassow |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu mitu | Mitu tomentosum |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Extinct in the Wild | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 79.2 cm (31.2 in) | 72.9 cm (28.7 in) |
| Weight | 2852.5 g (100.62 oz) | 2268.75 g (80.03 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in the ground and forest understorey. Extinct in wild; … | Eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in Amazonian lowland forests of Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. Forages … |
| 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.
Crestless Curassow
Emits a deep, resonant booming call; male's voice is extraordinarily loud. The deep, far-carrying booms of displaying males echo through Amazonian and Orinoco forest at dawn.
Geographic Range & Migration
Alagoas Curassow
Endemic to northeastern Brazil in Alagoas. Extinct in the wild; survives only in captivity. Last wild record was 1980s.
Crestless Curassow
Resident in the Orinoco and Amazon Basins of Venezuela, Colombia, and northern Brazil. Found in lowland rainforest and forest edges.
Conservation Status
Alagoas Curassow
Crestless Curassow
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 …
Crestless Curassow
Glossy black above and on breast; lower belly and undertail coverts white; bill large and bright red; no crest. White belly and red bill against black plumage create strong contrast.
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.
Crestless Curassow
A large cracid (~2.3 kg) of family Cracidae, with black plumage, white-tipped tail, and a red bill without a prominent crest. Inhabits lowland humid forests in the Orinoco and northern Amazon basins of Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. Forages on the forest floor and in the canopy for fruits and seeds. Least Concern with stable populations in remote forests.