White-crested Guan Penelope pileata Scientific name definitions

Named for its well-developed white crest feathers, the White-crested Guan has deep chestnut-colored underparts and very dark green upperparts. This Brazilian endemic is largely restricted to south-central and southeastern Amazonia, although it just ranges across the Rio Araguaia and hence into the Cerrado biome. Increased fieldwork in the last couple of decades has virtually doubled the known size of the species’ range. It prefers dense humid terra firme forest, but is seemingly also found in seasonally flooded areas, at least locally. Available data concerning the White-crested Guan’s ecology are virtually non-existent. The species’ population is presumed to be relatively small, perhaps fewer than 10,000 individuals, and under pressure due to significant deforestation over large areas within the easternmost portion of its range, as well as through hunting. These factors have lead to it being treated as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

75–82·5 cm; 1100–1600 g. Most colourful member of genus, with marked contrast between glossy dark greenish-olive on most of upperparts  and rich chestnut-rufous on underparts  . Pale superciliary and crown sides . Rufous hindneck and upper mantle , contrasting with rest of mantle, back, wings and tail , clearly distinguish present species from P. ochrogaster; also has more black on face, especially on ear-coverts. Iris dark red in male, but reputedly paler in female (1 Delacour, J., and D. Amadon (2004). Curassows and Related Birds. Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Close ). Juvenile similar to adult, but duller, with even paler eye, even when seven months old and otherwise as adult in plumage (1 Delacour, J., and D. Amadon (2004). Curassows and Related Birds. Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Close ).

NC Brazil S of R Amazon, from lower R Madeira E to Maranhão and S to S Pará and W Tocantins.

Principally found in terra firme forest in lowlands up to c. 800 m in Serra dos Carajás (2 Pacheco, J. F., G. M. Kirwan, A. Aleixo, B. M. Whitney, A. Whittaker, J. Minns, K. J. Zimmer, P. S. M. Fonseca, M. F. Lima, and D. C. Oren (2007). An avifaunal inventory of the CVRD Serra dos Carajás project, Pará, Brazil. Cotinga 27:15–30. Close ); seems to occur rather exclusively in relatively dense forest, although reported to range into wooded cerrado in Serra do Cachimbo, Pará (3 Santos, M. P. D., L. F. Silveira, and J. M. C. Silva (2011). Birds of Serra do Cachimbo, Pará state, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 19(2):244–259. Close ), and also occurs in swampy or seasonally flooded gallery forest in Tocantins and Maranhão (4 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 ); general ecology still poorly known. In S Pará occurs syntopically with P. superciliaris and P. jacquacu (3 Santos, M. P. D., L. F. Silveira, and J. M. C. Silva (2011). Birds of Serra do Cachimbo, Pará state, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 19(2):244–259. Close ), and with P. ochrogaster in W Tocantins (5 Kirwan, G. M., A. Whittaker, and K. J. Zimmer (2015). Interesting bird records from the Araguaia River Valley, central Brazil, with comments on conservation, distribution and taxonomy. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 135(1):21–60. Close ).

No information available, but presumably sedentary.

No published information available, but has been observed feeding on corn  put out for domestic chickens.

Only published description based on captive-bred birds; typically raucous or braying cries, given especially in early morning and sometimes for long periods, rendered “sharkoo” (4 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 ); honking sounds not dissimiliar to those of P. purpurascens becoming more barking and grating as bird takes flight  ; sometimes becoming higher-pitched with the notes more closely spaced  .

Well-grown young  seen in Mar in NC Brazil. Lays four eggs in captivity, although three probably commoner; eggs laid on alternate days (1 Delacour, J., and D. Amadon (2004). Curassows and Related Birds. Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Close ); chicks have upperparts patterned with dark brown, ashy grey, yellowish grey and blackish; at hatching weigh 64–70 g, after 30 days, c. 240 g and at 90 days c. 550 g (1 Delacour, J., and D. Amadon (2004). Curassows and Related Birds. Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Close ). No further information available.

VULNERABLE. Population estimated at c. 10,000 individuals, but known range has been dramatically increased through recent fieldwork (4 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 ), having been discovered as far E as Maranhão (4 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 S to S Pará (3 Santos, M. P. D., L. F. Silveira, and J. M. C. Silva (2011). Birds of Serra do Cachimbo, Pará state, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 19(2):244–259. Close ) and W Tocantins (6 Gwynne, J. A., R. S. Ridgely, G. Tudor, and M. Argel (2010). Birds of Brazil: the Pantanal and Cerrado. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close , 5 Kirwan, G. M., A. Whittaker, and K. J. Zimmer (2015). Interesting bird records from the Araguaia River Valley, central Brazil, with comments on conservation, distribution and taxonomy. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 135(1):21–60. Close ). Apparently confined to heavy forest, and much of this species’ range lies well within the so-called Arc of Deforestation. Fairly common in Amazônia (Tapajós) National Park and the Serra dos Carajás mosiac of protected areas (2 Pacheco, J. F., G. M. Kirwan, A. Aleixo, B. M. Whitney, A. Whittaker, J. Minns, K. J. Zimmer, P. S. M. Fonseca, M. F. Lima, and D. C. Oren (2007). An avifaunal inventory of the CVRD Serra dos Carajás project, Pará, Brazil. Cotinga 27:15–30. Close ); scarce around Santarém, Pará. Other protected areas known to harbour the species include Cantão State Park (Tocantins) and Gurupi Biological Reserve (Maranhão) (7 Lima, D. M., C. Martínez, and D. S. Lorenzo Raíces (2014). An avifaunal inventory and conservation prospects for the Gurupi Biological Reserve, Maranhão, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 22(4):317–338. Close ). Uncommon in collections , but has been bred, e.g. in Sorocaba Zoological Park, Brazil, and Cracid Breeding and Conservation Centre in Lanaken, Belgium.