Nocturnal Curassow vs Band-tailed Guan
Nothocrax urumutum compared with Penelope argyrotis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Nocturnal Curassow | Band-tailed Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothocrax urumutum | Penelope argyrotis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 56.1 cm (22.1 in) | 52.8 cm (20.8 in) |
| Weight | 1368.0 g (48.25 oz) | 798.0 g (28.15 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and small invertebrates in Amazonian lowland forests. Nocturnal; rarely observed foraging. | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean forests of Venezuela and Colombia. … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Nocturnal Curassow
Produces a loud, far-carrying booming call at night; calls are resonant and owl-like. This nocturnal curassow's deep, resonant booming is heard after dark in western Amazonian forest.
Band-tailed Guan
Produces a loud, honking cackle and resonant wing-whirring in display flights. The deep, carrying honk and wing-whirr display is characteristic of this Andean Penelope guan.
Geographic Range & Migration
Nocturnal Curassow
Resident in the western Amazon Basin in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. Found in lowland terra firme rainforest.
Band-tailed Guan
Resident in the Andes and mountains of Colombia and Venezuela from 1,000-2,400 m. Found in humid montane forest.
Conservation Status
Nocturnal Curassow
Band-tailed Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Nocturnal Curassow
Chestnut-brown above with blackish scaling; head and neck dark with small black crest tipped rufous; face bare red-orange; underparts pale buff barred chestnut; tail chestnut broadly banded black.
Band-tailed Guan
Brownish-black above with fine white streaking on neck and chest; bare red facial skin; lower underparts chestnut; tail broad with distinctive pale grey subterminal band.
About These Birds
Nocturnal Curassow
A medium-large cracid (~1.4 kg) of family Cracidae, the only curassow known for crepuscular and nocturnal activity. Has reddish-brown barred plumage and a small crest. Inhabits humid lowland rainforest in the western Amazon basin in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. Feeds on fruits and invertebrates. Least Concern; secretive behavior and dense forest habitat provide natural protection.
Band-tailed Guan
A medium-sized cracid (~800 g) of family Cracidae, with a distinctive pale-tipped tail band. Inhabits montane humid forests in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Andes of Colombia and Venezuela. Arboreal, feeding on fruits, seeds, and buds in the canopy. Least Concern; restricted to Andean cloud forest but common within its range and tolerates some forest disturbance.