Alagoas Curassow vs Rusty-margined Guan
Mitu mitu compared with Penelope superciliaris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Alagoas Curassow | Rusty-margined Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu mitu | Penelope superciliaris |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Extinct in the Wild | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 79.2 cm (31.2 in) | 49.7 cm (19.6 in) |
| Weight | 2852.5 g (100.62 oz) | 950.0 g (33.51 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in the ground and forest understorey. Extinct in wild; … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and small invertebrates in South American Atlantic and Cerrado forest … |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 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.
Rusty-margined Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and loud wing-whirring. Calls are similar to Spix's Guan; the wing-whirr display is standard for the genus in South American forest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Alagoas Curassow
Endemic to northeastern Brazil in Alagoas. Extinct in the wild; survives only in captivity. Last wild record was 1980s.
Rusty-margined Guan
Resident in Brazil from Bahia south to Rio Grande do Sul and in adjacent Paraguay and Argentina. Found in Atlantic Forest and gallery woodland.
Conservation Status
Alagoas Curassow
Rusty-margined 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 …
Rusty-margined Guan
Dark brown above; prominent pale buff-white supercilium; bare red throat; breast streaked white; wing coverts and secondaries edged rusty-rufous; lower belly rufous-chestnut; tail 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.
Rusty-margined Guan
A medium-sized cracid (~950 g) of family Cracidae, with rusty-brown wing margins and a red wattle. Inhabits Atlantic Forest, cerrado woodland edges, and humid forests in eastern and central Brazil and bordering countries. Feeds on fruits, leaves, and seeds in forest canopy. Near Threatened due to Atlantic Forest loss and hunting; one of the most common guans in its range.