Highland Guan

Overview

The highland guan (Penelopina nigra) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae found in the highlands of Central America. Its population has declined significantly in recent times, leading to its classification as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Males are black with upper parts glossed green or blue, while females are black, heavily mottled and barred with reddish-brown and cinnamon.
• Length ranges from 590 to 650 millimetres.
• Males feature a reddish-orange beak, large wattle, legs, and feet, with reddish-brown or purplish bare skin around the eyes.
• Females have a red beak and bare skin around the beak, with purplish bare skin around the eyes.

Habitat

The species inhabits subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, specifically humid broad-leaved mountain forests, mainly cloud forests and pine-oak forests, though it has been observed in secondary forests and plantations. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico, and Nicaragua, where it ranges on either side of the mountain ranges.

Diet

The highland guan forages for fruit both in the trees and on the leaf litter.

Did you know?

The highland guan has been uplisted multiple times in conservation status, moving from Least Concern in 1994 to Near Threatened in 2000, and finally to Vulnerable in 2007 as it was determined to be less common than previously believed.