Alagoas Curassow vs Crested Guan
Mitu mitu compared with Penelope purpurascens
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Alagoas Curassow | Crested Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu mitu | Penelope purpurascens |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Extinct in the Wild | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 79.2 cm (31.2 in) | 75.9 cm (29.9 in) |
| Weight | 2852.5 g (100.62 oz) | 1939.5 g (68.41 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in the ground and forest understorey. Extinct in wild; … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and flowers in Central and South American lowland and foothill … |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 2-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Alagoas Curassow
Extirpated from wild (EW). Calls documented from captive birds: a deep, resonant booming similar to Razor-billed Curassow; flocks give low, guttural clucking contact calls.
Crested Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and sustained wing-whirring display. The resonant honk carries through Central American and northern South American tropical forest canopy.
Geographic Range & Migration
Alagoas Curassow
Endemic to northeastern Brazil in Alagoas. Extinct in the wild; survives only in captivity. Last wild record was 1980s.
Crested Guan
Resident from Mexico and Central America south to western Ecuador and Venezuela at sea level to 2,400 m. Found in humid forest.
Conservation Status
Alagoas Curassow
Crested Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Alagoas Curassow
Glossy black body; white lower belly and undertail; massive compressed red bill with orange-yellow tip; no head ornamentation. Now extinct in wild; the large red razor bill was its most …
Crested Guan
Dark brownish-black with purplish gloss; prominent erectile dark crest; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast finely streaked white; lower belly rufous-chestnut; tail long and dark.
About These Birds
Alagoas Curassow
A large cracid (~2.9 kg) of family Cracidae, with glossy black plumage and a distinctive red knobbed bill. Extinct in the Wild; the last wild individuals disappeared from Alagoas, Brazil by the 1980s due to deforestation of the Atlantic Forest. A captive population survives in Brazilian zoos, with reintroduction programs underway. One of the most critically imperiled birds globally.
Crested Guan
A large cracid (~1.9 kg) of family Cracidae, with a shaggy crest, red wattle, and dark plumage with white streaking. Inhabits lowland and montane humid forests from Mexico to western Ecuador and Venezuela. Arboreal frugivore; also takes leaves and invertebrates. Near Threatened due to deforestation and hunting across Central America and South America.