Trinidad Piping-Guan Pipile pipile Scientific name definitions

The Trinidad Piping-Guan is a medium-sized, arboreal cracid endemic to the island of Trinidad, where it is critically endangered. Formerly widespread (except perhaps along the more arid west coast) in forest from sea level to the highest peaks, it is now restricted to humid forest in an area of roughly 350 km² in the eastern half of the Northern Range. Nearly hunted to extinction, its population may be less than 100 and is unlikely to exceed 200 individuals. It occurs in small groups and spends most of its time in the forest canopy, feeding mostly on fruits. The Trinidad Piping-Guan is mostly blackish with a light blue, black-tipped bill, paler blue facial skin, white streaks in a shaggy crest, dark blue gular patch, mostly white upperwing coverts, and bright pinkish-red legs.

c. 65–69 cm; (1000)2500–3300 g (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ). Male apparently larger than female, and perhaps also shows more solid and larger white patches in upperwing-coverts (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ). More brownish and less glossy than P. cumanensis, with predominantly dark crest; gloss is purplish brown; breast has white markings faint or lacking. Juvenile body plumage apparently much browner than near-black adult, with fewer white markings on head and wing-coverts (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ).

Trinidad, at present almost confined to E Northern Range, with single recent record (2000) from S of island (Catshill Reserve) (2 Hayes, F.E., Sanasie, B. and Samad, I. (2009). Status and conservation of the critically endangered Trinidad Piping-guan Aburria pipile. Endang. Species Res. 7: 77–84. Close ).

Remote, tall primary forest (canopy height 40–50 m) (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ) in areas subject to minimal human disturbance; favours sites with sparse ground cover and closed canopy, rich in vines and epiphytes; lower montane rainforest in Northern Range and semi-evergreen seasonal forest in Southern Range; prefers steep hilly areas with deep valleys and abundant watercourses, at 400–900 m, with occasional records close to sea-level (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ). Some records from second growth, shade-coffee (and other) (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ) plantations and cultivated plots adjacent to primary forest.

Mainly sedentary, but in Northern Range birds move locally over large areas in search of fruit.

Mainly fruits and seeds of trees (at least 14 different species mentioned in the literature) (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ) including those of Virola surinamensis (Myristicaceae) (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ), Ocotea glomerata (Lauraceae), Pouteria multiflora (Sapotaceae), Bursera sp. (Burseraceae), Didymopanax morototoni (Araliaceae) and Erythroxylum sp. (Erythroxylaceae); also of Lantana (Verbenaceae) in second growth; young leaves, including the vines Ipomoea tiliacea (Convolvulaceae) and Calopogonium caeruleum (Fabaceae) (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ), and insects occasionally reported. Ripe coffee beans also apparently taken (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ). Diet estimated to comprise 86·6% fruit, 6·7 leaves and 6·7% invertebrates (3 Muñoz, M.C. and Kattan, G.H. (2007). Diets of cracids: how much do we know? Orn. Neotropical. 18(1): 21–36. Close ). Few data on its role as a seed disperser, but there is some evidence to suggest that it defecates at least some species intact (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ). Drinks from streams and forest epiphytes. Forages in small groups usually of up to five birds and focusing on a particular area for long periods (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ), although old records mention flocks of 12–15 birds; forages virtually throughout day (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ), even 1–2 hours after dark (see Family Text). Principally arboreal (one study found that a group of birds spent just 0·2% of their time on ground) (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ), but historical reports suggest that species came to the ground more frequently in the past (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ).

Rattling wing-whirr comprising a single loud ‘clap” then 4–6 introductory ‘claps’ followed by a long burst of drumming during the bird’s gliding flight, usually given around dawn (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ). Four other vocalizations described: a thin “pee-oo” or “pyoo” given by lone birds or individuals in groups (perhaps in contact); rather soft duck-like quacking or croaking notes given in series  ; a single rising whistle; and the song, usually given in conjunction with wing-whirring displays, commencing pre-dawn, which is a 3–5-note series of ascending whistles lasting c. 5 seconds, with each note commencing on a slightly lower pitch than the preceding one (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ).

Season apparently protracted; records of breeding activity in most months: mating in Mar–Apr, female with eggs in ovum in Jan, chicks in Mar and Apr , and juveniles in Nov, Jan, Feb and May (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close ). Nest is stick platform usually sited within tangle of vegetation relatively close above ground. Clutch two eggs. No further information available.

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED. CITES I. Formerly abundant and widely distributed at all elevations throughout the island; relatively large numbers probably remained until 1940s or 1950s (2 Hayes, F.E., Sanasie, B. and Samad, I. (2009). Status and conservation of the critically endangered Trinidad Piping-guan Aburria pipile. Endang. Species Res. 7: 77–84. Close ). No records in C Trinidad (e.g. Bush Bush Forest) since 1983, and none from Trinity Hills in SE Trinidad since 1994 (1 del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476. Close , 2 Hayes, F.E., Sanasie, B. and Samad, I. (2009). Status and conservation of the critically endangered Trinidad Piping-guan Aburria pipile. Endang. Species Res. 7: 77–84. Close , 4 ffrench, R. P. (2012). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago. Third edition. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close ). Now probably confined to E Northern Range (E of Arima–Blanchisseuse road) above 400 m, with very occasional sight records from foothills in Arima Valley and elsewhere (2 Hayes, F.E., Sanasie, B. and Samad, I. (2009). Status and conservation of the critically endangered Trinidad Piping-guan Aburria pipile. Endang. Species Res. 7: 77–84. Close , 4 ffrench, R. P. (2012). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago. Third edition. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close ). Only 150–350 km² of suitable habitat remains here BirdLife International (2014) Species factsheet: Pipile pipile. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/09/2014. (2 Hayes, F.E., Sanasie, B. and Samad, I. (2009). Status and conservation of the critically endangered Trinidad Piping-guan Aburria pipile. Endang. Species Res. 7: 77–84. Close ). Total population roughly calculated to number c. 100 birds in 1980, and more recently placed at 70–200 individuals (2 Hayes, F.E., Sanasie, B. and Samad, I. (2009). Status and conservation of the critically endangered Trinidad Piping-guan Aburria pipile. Endang. Species Res. 7: 77–84. Close ). Habitat loss and especially hunting pressure are causes of the marked decline. Intensive timber extraction, conversion of forests into commercial timber plantations, and construction of access roads for agriculture (also facilitating settlers) continue to be main threats, along with tourism. Decline caused by hunting already reported in 1894 (5 Chapman, F.M. (1894). On the birds of the Island of Trinidad. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 6: 1-54. Close ) and has continued until present day, despite legal protection of species since 1963; high levels of illegal hunting blamed for species’ absence in accessible areas of Northern Range where ecological conditions apparently ideal. Most of species’ current range lies within reserves or state forests, but existing laws concerning hunting, settling and logging are unenforced. Conservation education campaigns about the species, the country’s only endemic bird, were carried undertaken throughout 1980s.