Cauca Guan
A species of Typical guans Scientific name : Penelope perspicax Genus : Typical guans
Cauca Guan, A species of Typical guans
Botanical name: Penelope perspicax
Genus: Typical guans
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Nigel Voaden 
Description
These are large birds, measuring c.75-85cm in length, and similar in general appearance to turkeys, with thin necks and small heads. 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. The bird has a prominent bright red gular sac which is larger than that of the Andean Guan, a possible confusion species. The tarsi and feet are red, as are the eyes. The bill is dark grey. 
Size
76 cm
Feeding Habits
Cauca Guan primarily consumes fruit from diverse plant species, sometimes unripe, supplementing with leaves and foliage. It has a preference for high-protein fruits during breeding and favors Fraxinus leaves seasonally. Cauca Guan forages in groups, occasionally with other fauna, from low vegetation to the canopy, and ingests small stones, presumably for digestion.
Habitat
Cauca Guan is typically found in humid forests within upper tropical and subtropical zones. Its habitat ranges from primary forests to second growth areas, and it can occasionally be found in groves near paths and plantations, particularly within landscapes where mature forest fragments are present nearby. Cauca Guan has some adaptability, able to breed in less-than-ideal habitats and commonly inhabits the middle to upper forest strata, although it may venture lower near forest edges.
Dite type
Frugivorous
General Info
Distribution Area
The cauca guan is endemic to Colombia. Historically it was found in the Cauca River valley between Quindío Department and Cerro Munchique in Cauca, and on the Pacific slope of the Cordillera Occidental (Western Andes) in Valle del Cauca and Cauca. It may also have been present at the headwaters of the Magdalena River. By the 1980s it was thought to be extinct, but small surviving populations have since been found within the departments of Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Quindío and Risaralda. The altitudinal range of the cauca guan is between 900 and 2500 metres above sea level. It inhabits humid primary and secondary forest, forest edges and tree plantations, including plantations of introduced species such as Fraxinus sinensis (Chinese Ash) and Pinus patula (patula pine). They are forest birds, and the nest is built in a tree. The Cauca guan's call is, like other guans, a loud, raucous honking. This bird is endangered due to a severe loss of suitable habitat, and is also hunted for food. The current population estimate is less than one thousand individuals.
Photo By Nigel Voaden 
Scientific Classification
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