Horned Curassow vs Band-tailed Guan
Pauxi unicornis compared with Penelope argyrotis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Horned Curassow | Band-tailed Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pauxi unicornis | Penelope argyrotis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 81.2 cm (32.0 in) | 52.8 cm (20.8 in) |
| Weight | 3725.0 g (131.40 oz) | 798.0 g (28.15 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats large seeds, fruits, and invertebrates on the floor of Bolivian and Peruvian montane … | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean forests of Venezuela and Colombia. … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Horned Curassow
Emits a deep, resonant booming call. The powerful, far-carrying boom is infrequently recorded; Critically Endangered; calls in Bolivian cloud forest are among the rarest cracid sounds.
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
Horned Curassow
Endemic to the east Andean slopes of Bolivia in Santa Cruz and Cochabamba at 1,000-2,000 m. Found in humid montane forest. 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
Horned Curassow
Band-tailed Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Horned Curassow
Glossy black; white lower belly and undertail; a single erect blue-grey conical horn on forehead (smaller than Helmeted Curassow casque); red bill; legs red. Very rare; horn distinguishes from all …
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
Horned Curassow
A large cracid (~3.7 kg) of family Cracidae, bearing a prominent red casque on the forehead resembling a unicorn horn. Found in humid lowland and foothill forests in Bolivia and possibly Peru. Forages on the forest floor for fallen fruits. Critically Endangered; one of the rarest birds in South America with extremely limited range, severe habitat loss, and hunting pressure.
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.