Band-tailed Guan vs Dusky-legged Guan
Penelope argyrotis compared with Penelope obscura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Band-tailed Guan | Dusky-legged Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Penelope argyrotis | Penelope obscura |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 52.8 cm (20.8 in) | 61.9 cm (24.4 in) |
| Weight | 798.0 g (28.15 oz) | 1530.0 g (53.97 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean forests of Venezuela and Colombia. … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and flowers in South American Atlantic forest and Araucaria forest. … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2-4 |
| 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.
Dusky-legged Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and strong wing-whirring display. The deep, carrying call echoes through southern South American subtropical and humid forest.
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.
Dusky-legged Guan
Resident in southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. Found in Atlantic Forest and gallery woodland.
Conservation Status
Band-tailed Guan
Dusky-legged 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.
Dusky-legged Guan
Dark brownish-olive above; dark grey legs; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast streaked pale; lower underparts rufous-chestnut; tail dark. Dusky legs distinguish it from similar Spix's Guan.
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.
Dusky-legged Guan
A large cracid (~1.5 kg) of family Cracidae, with dark legs, olive-brown plumage, and a red wattle. Found in Atlantic Forest and subtropical forests of southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, and Uruguay. Arboreal frugivore. Least Concern; one of the most common guans in southeastern South America and increasingly tolerant of forest fragments.