Crestless Curassow vs Andean Guan
Mitu tomentosum compared with Penelope montagnii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Crestless Curassow | Andean Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu tomentosum | Penelope montagnii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 72.9 cm (28.7 in) | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 2268.75 g (80.03 oz) | 650.0 g (22.93 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in Amazonian lowland forests of Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. Forages … | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean cloud forests. Forages at all levels … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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.
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
Crestless Curassow
Resident in the Orinoco and Amazon Basins of Venezuela, Colombia, and northern Brazil. Found in lowland rainforest and forest edges.
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
Crestless Curassow
Andean Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
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
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.
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.