Cauca Guan

Penelope perspicax

VulnerableRareEndemicFruitForestPlatform nestLarge · 1.2 kg

About the Cauca Guan

The Cauca guan is a bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family, Cracidae. It is a large guan, and like most guans leads a mostly arboreal life in humid forests, where it forages for fruit and leaves. The Cauca guan is endemic to Colombia's Cauca River valley.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

These are large birds, measuring c.75–85 cm in length, with the typical plump body, long tail and small head of the Cracidae species. The head, neck and mantle of the Cauca guan are dark grey, blending into the reddish chestnut colour of the rump, scapulars, wing coverts and upper tail surfaces. The primary flight feathers are greyish-brown. The undersides of the tail feathers are grey. The grey feathers of the mantle, throat, breast and belly are outlined in white, creating a scaled appearance.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

Regular range

When to see it

Peak activity in February · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the Cauca Guan for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.