White-winged Guan

Overview

The white-winged guan is a bird in the chachalaca, guan, and curassow family Cracidae. It is a monotypic species that is endemic to northwestern Peru.

Identification

• Average length of 85.2 cm and weight of 1.6 kg.
• Blackish brown plumage with a green gloss, featuring short whitish or pale gray streaks on much of the forepart.
• White primaries visible as a slash on the folded wing.
• Reddish eye surrounded by bare purple skin, a dark gray bill with a black tip, and an orange dewlap.

Habitat

The species is confined to the departments of Lambayeque, Cajamarca, and Piura in northwestern Peru, within an area at most 190 km long and 40 km wide. It inhabits specialized landscapes consisting of small, forested ravines and nearby slopes on the west side of the Andes. Its elevation range is generally between 500 and 1,100 m, though it has been recorded as low as 300 m and as high as 1,385 m.

Diet

The white-winged guan feeds on fruits, flowers, leaves, and seeds, with Ficus figs and Cordia lutea fruits being the most important components due to their year-round availability. It typically forages in pairs or family groups, though several groups may feed together in a single fruiting tree.

Did you know?

The species was originally known from only three specimens collected in 1876 and 1877, and was not positively seen again until 1977, despite hints of its continued existence in 1969.