Band-tailed Guan vs Trinidad Piping-guan
Penelope argyrotis compared with Pipile pipile
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Band-tailed Guan | Trinidad Piping-guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Penelope argyrotis | Pipile pipile |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Critically Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 52.8 cm (20.8 in) | 66.2 cm (26.1 in) |
| Weight | 798.0 g (28.15 oz) | 2150.0 g (75.84 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean forests of Venezuela and Colombia. … | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Trinidadian forests. Critically endangered; forages in canopy. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| 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.
Trinidad Piping-guan
Produces loud, resonant piping calls and strong wing-whirring displays. Critically endangered; calls carry through remnant Trinidad rainforest; the loudest vocalizations of any Pipile piping-guan.
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.
Trinidad Piping-guan
Endemic to the island of Trinidad (not Tobago). Found in lowland rainforest remnants. Critically endangered.
Conservation Status
Band-tailed Guan
Trinidad 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.
Trinidad Piping-guan
Glossy black overall; large white wing patches; bare blue facial skin and pendulous blue-and-white wattle; white crest; white streaking on neck. Spectacular ornamental facial features.
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.
Trinidad Piping-guan
A large cracid (~2.2 kg) of family Cracidae, with bold white wing patches and a blue-and-white facial wattle. Endemic to the island of Trinidad; the only Pipile species in the Caribbean. Inhabits primary and mature secondary rainforest. Feeds on fruits and seeds in the canopy. Critically Endangered; one of the world's rarest birds, with fewer than 200 individuals surviving.