Marail Guan

Overview

The marail guan (Penelope marail), also known as the Cayenne guan, is a species of bird in the family Cracidae. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN and is found across parts of South America.

Identification

• Length of 63 to 68 cm (2.1 to 2.2 ft).
• The nominate subspecies features a dark back, wings, and central tail feathers with a greenish olive gloss, while outer tail feathers are bluish black.
• Dark throat and chest with white speckles, a reddish brown belly, and a prominent red dewlap.
• Emits a barking 'whaf, whaf, whaf' call, typically before dawn or at dusk, often accompanied by a wing-whirring display.

Habitat

Found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela, the species predominantly inhabits mature tropical forest and is also present in secondary forest. It favors terra firma forest with dense undergrowth in the Guianas and Brazil, and is a bird of the lowlands in Venezuela, occurring between 100 and 600 m (330 and 1,970 ft) of elevation.

Diet

The marail guan forages singly or in groups of up to six, mostly in the canopy and lower levels of the forest, though it sometimes forages on the ground. Its diet is almost entirely fruits, with insects occasionally taken.

Did you know?

In Suriname, individual territories range in size from 2 to 9 ha (4.9 to 22 acres), suggesting the bird is sedentary.