APPEARANCE
Spix's guan (Penelope jacquacu) is a fairly large bird, rather bigger than a chicken, and a bit
smaller than a turkey, about 3 feet from head to tail. The relatively long neck has fine white streaks, down
to the breast, while the bare throat is coral red (as are the legs). The tail is also long, colored glossy
green like the primary wing feathers. The facial area lacks feathers around the eye, exposing bluish skin.
Spix's Guan is named after a 19th century German explorer who spent three years collecting plants and
animals in Brazil. (See Wikipedia: Johann
Baptist von Spix.)
This bird is related to other birds such as chachalacas and currasows, in the family Cracidae, which is
known mainly from the New World tropics. In Amazonia four species of cracids may coexist in the same area.
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION
This species inhabits tropical lowland rainforest east of the Andes to eastern Brazil and south to Bolivia.
They prefer humid forest, but adapt well to less densely forested areas such as edges of woodlands and in
clearings with scattered trees. The birds usually roam singly or in pairs, but not in groups, keeping to the
mid-canopy and rarely come to the ground.
FEEDING AND DIET
The guans and other cracids feed primarily on plant matter, such as fruits, young leaves and shoots and
seeds.
BREEDING
Spix's guan relies on noise during its mating displays. Its main display comprises wing rattling and a loud
raucuous crowing, just before dawn and at dusk. Steven Hilty in
Birds of Colombia likens
the sound to the distant howling of a dog—quite unlike a bird! They nest in trees, about 15 feet up, in
nests made mostly of leaves. Guans lay three to four eggs.
CONSERVATION
Population numbers for this species are unavailable but, due to its adaptability to disturbance, it is
likely not threatened at this time. The IUCN
Red Book lists the species status as Least Concern.
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