Horned Curassow vs Andean Guan
Pauxi unicornis compared with Penelope montagnii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Horned Curassow | Andean Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pauxi unicornis | Penelope montagnii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 81.2 cm (32.0 in) | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 3725.0 g (131.40 oz) | 650.0 g (22.93 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats large seeds, fruits, and invertebrates on the floor of Bolivian and Peruvian montane … | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean cloud forests. Forages at all levels … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 2 |
| 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.
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
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.
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
Horned Curassow
Andean 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 …
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
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.
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.