Sickle-winged Guan

Overview

The sickle-winged guan (Chamaepetes goudotii) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae found across the Andes of South America. It is generally considered a bird of middle elevations and is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Length ranges from 50 to 65 cm with a weight between 550 and 800 g.
• The nominate subspecies features a brown head and neck, dark upperparts, a bright chestnut belly, pale blue facial skin, and red eyes.
• Subspecies display variations such as redder throats and cheeks in C. g. sanctaemarthae, much darker plumage in C. g. fagani, and scaly gray-edged neck feathers in C. g. rufiventris.
• The fagini subspecies produces an extremely thin, high-pitched whistle and a 'keeeeeee-uk!' alarm call.

Habitat

The species inhabits humid and wet forests in the Andes of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, preferring tall forests but also occurring at edges and in secondary growth. Elevation varies by location, typically ranging from 1,100 to 3,500 m depending on the specific subspecies and region.

Diet

Primarily foraging in fruiting trees up to 13 m above the ground, this bird usually feeds on small fruits supplemented by flowers, leaves, and invertebrates. Pairs or small groups of up to eight individuals are often active around dawn and dusk, and in some areas they frequent feeding stations to consume bananas.

Did you know?

The fagini subspecies is noted for a distinctive wing-whirring display performed at dawn and dusk while flying back and forth between trees. It occasionally frequents feeding stations to eat bananas, a habit observed in some specific areas of its range.