Red-billed Curassow
A species of Curassows Scientific name : Crax blumenbachii Genus : Curassows
Red-billed Curassow, A species of Curassows
Botanical name: Crax blumenbachii
Genus: Curassows
Content
Description General Info
Description
The red-billed curassow is a large bird reaching a length of 82 to 92 centimetres (32 to 36 in). The male has pure black upper parts with a large black crest, and white underparts. There are bright red wattles and knobs at the base of the bill. The male can be distinguished from the wattled curassow (Crax globulosa) by being less bluish-black and from the black curassow (Crax alector) by being less purplish-black. The female lacks the wattles and has black upper parts, a black and white barred crest, reddish-brown wings barred and mottled with black, and reddish-brown or ochre underparts.
Size
84 cm
Nest Placement
Tree
Habitat
Red-billed Curassow generally inhabit the remaining segments of the Atlantic rainforest, favoring undisturbed lowland forest ecosystems that are in the vicinity of streams and rivers. They are also known to exhibit resilience to human-modified landscapes such as agricultural lands and regenerated secondary forests. Their habitat choice is continuously monitored through radio telemetry, which indicates a strong preference for areas in close proximity to water sources.
Dite type
Frugivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Fruit
Behavior
The red-billed curassow is a largely ground-dwelling bird. It feeds on seeds, fruits, buds and small invertebrates. Males can be heard issuing their loud "booms" in September and October. Females lay a clutch of one to four eggs and the young are fledged by the end of the year.
Species Status
The red-billed curassow has a very limited range in eastern Brazil and populations there are declining because of habitat loss and hunting. The virgin forest in which it lives has largely been converted to agricultural land and plantations, and the bird is only present now in reserves, and even here it is illegally hunted and captured for the bird trade. There has been a successful captive breeding programme but the International Union for Conservation of Nature rates its conservation status in the wild as "endangered".