Band-tailed Guan vs Blue-throated Piping-guan
Penelope argyrotis compared with Pipile cumanensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Band-tailed Guan | Blue-throated Piping-guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Penelope argyrotis | Pipile cumanensis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 52.8 cm (20.8 in) | 66.9 cm (26.3 in) |
| Weight | 798.0 g (28.15 oz) | 1228.0 g (43.32 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 Amazonian and Orinoco basin forests. Forages in … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-3 |
| 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.
Blue-throated Piping-guan
Emits loud, resonant piping calls and wing-whirring displays. The ringing, piping calls carry through Amazonian lowland forest; wing-whirr is powerful and audible from a distance.
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.
Blue-throated Piping-guan
Resident in the Amazon Basin from Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia and Brazil. Found in lowland and foothill rainforest near rivers.
Conservation Status
Band-tailed Guan
Blue-throated Piping-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.
Blue-throated Piping-guan
Glossy black; large white wing patch; bare bright blue throat skin and wattle; white forehead and crest; white flecking on neck and mantle. Blue throat skin distinguishes from White-throated Piping-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.
Blue-throated Piping-guan
A large cracid (~1.2 kg) of family Cracidae, with white wing markings and a bright blue throat wattle. Inhabits humid lowland and foothill forests across northern South America, from Colombia and Venezuela south through Amazonia to Bolivia. Arboreal, feeding on fruits and seeds. Least Concern; widespread in Amazonian forests with relatively stable populations in undisturbed areas.