Band-tailed Guan vs Highland Guan
Penelope argyrotis compared with Penelopina nigra
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Band-tailed Guan | Highland Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Penelope argyrotis | Penelopina nigra |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 52.8 cm (20.8 in) | 47.9 cm (18.9 in) |
| Weight | 798.0 g (28.15 oz) | 890.0 g (31.39 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean forests of Venezuela and Colombia. … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Central American highland forests. Forages in forest mid-storey … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Highland Guan
Produces a loud, resonant cackling call and wing-whirring display. The male's calls carry through Central American cloud forest; wing-whirring display is a key feature of this highland cracid.
Geographic Range & Migration
Band-tailed Guan
Resident in the Andes and mountains of Colombia and Venezuela from 1,000-2,400 m. Found in humid montane forest.
Highland Guan
Resident in the highlands of Mexico and Central America from Chiapas south to Nicaragua at 1,200-3,000 m. Found in cloud forest and pine-oak woodland.
Conservation Status
Band-tailed Guan
Highland Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Highland Guan
Strongly dimorphic: male is entirely glossy black with bare red facial skin and red legs; female is dark brown heavily barred and streaked with black, with bare red facial skin.
About These Birds
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.
Highland Guan
A medium-sized cracid (~890 g) of family Cracidae, sexually dimorphic—males glossy black with red wattle, females brown. Inhabits cloud forests and humid montane forests in the highlands of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Arboreal frugivore. Vulnerable due to deforestation and hunting in the fragmented highlands of Mesoamerica.