Andean Guan vs Cauca Guan
Penelope montagnii compared with Penelope perspicax
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Andean Guan | Cauca Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Penelope montagnii | Penelope perspicax |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) | 65.0 cm (25.6 in) |
| Weight | 650.0 g (22.93 oz) | 1197.0 g (42.22 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean cloud forests. Forages at all levels … | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, and leaves in Colombian Cauca Valley forests. Critically endangered with very … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Cauca Guan
Produces a loud, honking cackle and powerful wing-whirring display. Critically endangered; calls carry across Colombian Cauca Valley forest fragments; wing-whirr is diagnostic.
Geographic Range & Migration
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.
Cauca Guan
Endemic to the Cauca Valley of Colombia. Found in humid forest remnants at 1,000-2,000 m. Critically endangered.
Conservation Status
Andean Guan
Cauca Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Cauca Guan
Dark brownish-black above; neck and breast streaked white; bare red throat skin; lower underparts deep rufous-chestnut; back faintly glossed; tail dark brown. White streaking is bolder than in most Penelope …
About These Birds
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.
Cauca Guan
A medium-large cracid (~1.2 kg) of family Cracidae, with olive-brown plumage and a red throat wattle. Endemic to the upper Cauca Valley of Colombia at 1,200–2,400 m elevation. Inhabits remnant humid Andean forests. Arboreal, feeding on fruits and seeds. Vulnerable due to severe deforestation in one of Colombia's most densely populated valleys and ongoing hunting pressure.