Bearded Guan vs Andean Guan
Penelope barbata compared with Penelope montagnii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bearded Guan | Andean Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Penelope barbata | Penelope montagnii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 48.4 cm (19.1 in) | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 822.8 g (29.02 oz) | 650.0 g (22.93 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and flowers in Andean cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru. … | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean cloud forests. Forages at all levels … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Bearded Guan
Emits a loud, deep honking cackle and produces wing-whirring in display. Calls are resonant; the wing-whirr display is loud and penetrating in Ecuadorian and Peruvian cloud forest.
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
Bearded Guan
Resident in the Andes of southern Ecuador and northern Peru at 1,800-3,400 m. Found in humid montane forest.
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
Bearded Guan
Andean Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Bearded Guan
Dark olive-brown above; throat with bare red skin and feathered lower edge resembling beard; neck and breast finely streaked white on dark brown; lower belly rufous-chestnut; tail dark brown.
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
Bearded Guan
A medium-sized cracid (~820 g) of family Cracidae, with a small red-wattled throat pouch. Inhabits montane cloud forests in the Andes of southern Ecuador and northern Peru at 1,500–3,000 m elevation. Feeds arboreally on fruits, seeds, and buds. Near Threatened due to ongoing deforestation and hunting; dependent on intact Andean cloud forest which continues to be cleared.
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.