Chamaepetes goudotii
The Sickle-winged Guan (*Chamaepetes goudotii*) is a captivating, relatively large cracid native to the Andean cloud forests, typically measuring 60-65 cm (23.5-25.5 inches) in length and weighing around 1.1-1.3 kg. Its plumage is predominantly dark, ranging from sooty black to deep dark brown, often with a subtle reddish-brown wash on the underparts, varying slightly among its subspecies. A striking field mark is the bare, vibrant red skin around its eyes and on its throat, which contrasts s...
Resides in subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, cloud forests, and their edges, typically found at elevations between 900 and 2,500 meters (3,000-8,200 feet) in the Andes.
Primarily frugivorous, consuming a wide variety of fruits, berries, and drupes; supplements its diet with leaves, flowers, and some invertebrates, foraging mostly in the forest canopy.
The Sickle-winged Guan is a diurnal, arboreal species, usually observed singly, in pairs, or in small family groups foraging deliberately through the forest canopy and mid-story. Foraging involves meticulously gleaning fruits, leaves, and occasionally insects from branches. Males engage in remark...
The Sickle-winged Guan is endemic to the humid montane forests of the northern Andes in South America. Its range extends from northern and central Colombia, southward through the Andes of Ecuador, and into extreme northern Peru. It occupies elevations typically between 900 to 2,500 meters (3,000-...
Least Concern
- Its distinctive "sickle-winged" name comes from the uniquely modified outer primary flight feathers which create a loud, whirring sound during display flights. - This specialized sound-making ability is primarily used by males for courtship and territorial displays, audible from a considerable ...