Andean Guan vs Highland Guan
Penelope montagnii compared with Penelopina nigra
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Andean Guan | Highland Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Penelope montagnii | Penelopina nigra |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) | 47.9 cm (18.9 in) |
| Weight | 650.0 g (22.93 oz) | 890.0 g (31.39 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean cloud forests. Forages at all levels … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Central American highland forests. Forages in forest mid-storey … |
| 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.
Highland Guan
Produces a loud, resonant cackling call and wing-whirring display. The male's calls carry through Central American cloud forest; wing-whirring display is a key feature of this highland cracid.
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.
Highland Guan
Resident in the highlands of Mexico and Central America from Chiapas south to Nicaragua at 1,200-3,000 m. Found in cloud forest and pine-oak woodland.
Conservation Status
Andean Guan
Highland 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.
Highland Guan
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.
Highland Guan
A medium-sized cracid (~890 g) of family Cracidae, sexually dimorphic—males glossy black with red wattle, females brown. Inhabits cloud forests and humid montane forests in the highlands of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Arboreal frugivore. Vulnerable due to deforestation and hunting in the fragmented highlands of Mesoamerica.