Red-throated Piping Guan

Overview

The red-throated piping guan (Pipile cujubi) is a species of bird in the chachalaca, guan, and curassow family Cracidae, classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is found in the lowland forests of Bolivia and Brazil.

Identification

• Size: 69 to 76 cm (2.26 to 2.49 ft) long.
• Plumage: Black overall with a blue sheen in the nominate subspecies, featuring black-and-white patches on the wings, a shaggy white crest, and white speckles on the breast.
• Markings: Bare pale blue skin on the face and a red gular patch.
• Song: A rising series of clear whistles, usually made in the morning, accompanied by a coarse, doubled, ripping noise from wing-whirring at dawn.

Habitat

This species inhabits tropical and semi-deciduous forests in lowlands up to 700 m (2,300 ft) across north-central and western Amazonian Brazil, as well as the eastern part of Bolivia's Santa Cruz department. They prefer forests with a minimum height of 15 m (49 ft).

Diet

The red-throated piping guan forages in flocks of up to about 30 birds, usually in the canopy but sometimes on the ground. While the specific details of its diet are not fully documented, it is known to feed on fruit and flowers.

Did you know?

Almost nothing is known about the breeding phenology of the red-throated piping guan.