Alagoas Curassow vs Sira Curassow
Mitu mitu compared with Pauxi koepckeae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Alagoas Curassow | Sira Curassow |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu mitu | Pauxi koepckeae |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Extinct in the Wild | Critically Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 79.2 cm (31.2 in) | 93.6 cm (36.9 in) |
| Weight | 2852.5 g (100.62 oz) | 3745.0 g (132.10 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in the ground and forest understorey. Extinct in wild; … | Eats large seeds, fruits, and invertebrates in Peruvian foothill forests. Critically endangered; diet poorly documented. |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | -- |
| 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.
Sira Curassow
Produces a deep, resonant booming call. Critically Endangered; calls are essentially unknown in the wild; captive birds give deep, resonant booming typical of Pauxi curassows.
Geographic Range & Migration
Alagoas Curassow
Endemic to northeastern Brazil in Alagoas. Extinct in the wild; survives only in captivity. Last wild record was 1980s.
Sira Curassow
Endemic to the Sira Cordillera of central Peru in Ucayali and Huánuco at 600-1,400 m. Found in humid foothill forest. Critically endangered.
Conservation Status
Alagoas Curassow
Sira 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 …
Sira Curassow
Glossy black overall; white lower belly; pale blue-grey conical casque on forehead similar to Horned Curassow; red bill and red legs. Extremely rare and poorly known; casque shape and large …
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.
Sira Curassow
A large cracid (~3.7 kg) of family Cracidae, with a stout turquoise casque and black-and-white plumage. Restricted to the Sira mountains of central Peru. Inhabits humid montane and foothill forests at 600–1,600 m elevation. Forages on the forest floor for fruits and seeds. Critically Endangered with an extremely small range; threatened by logging, agricultural conversion, and hunting.