Sira Curassow vs Band-tailed Guan
Pauxi koepckeae compared with Penelope argyrotis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sira Curassow | Band-tailed Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pauxi koepckeae | Penelope argyrotis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 93.6 cm (36.9 in) | 52.8 cm (20.8 in) |
| Weight | 3745.0 g (132.10 oz) | 798.0 g (28.15 oz) |
| Diet | Eats large seeds, fruits, and invertebrates in Peruvian foothill forests. Critically endangered; diet poorly documented. | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean forests of Venezuela and Colombia. … |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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.
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
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.
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
Sira Curassow
Band-tailed Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
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 …
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
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.
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.