Andean Guan
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| Andean Guan | ||||||||||||||
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| Penelope montagnii (Bonaparte, 1856) |
The Andean Guan, Penelope montagnii, is a species of bird from the family Cracidae. This species occurs in the highlands (1500 m ASL and higher) of the Andes from Venezuela and Colombia in north, to Bolivia in south.
These are medium sized birds, about 40-50 cm in length, and similar in shape to elegant turkeys, long-bodied with thin necks and small heads. The plumage is overall brown with whitish edging to the feathers of the head, neck and chest. It has a red dewlap and reddish legs.
They are cloud forest birds; the sightings of this cracid are often associated to the migrations of Army ants which the bird usually follows. The nest is built in a tree, with single egg each mating season. Two adults with a young were observed in Ecuador in late June[1].
This bird is not globally endangered, occurring over awide range. It is affected by habitat destruction, apparently unable to cope with deforestation[1]. This bird is also hunted for food.
Given its altitudinal range, it might be affected by habitat fragmentation in the long term. There is data on its overall population. It occurs in several protected areas in its range. Among others, in Colombia it has been observed in the Cocora valley in the department of Quindío, and the Quimbaya protected forest in the department of Risaralda.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Penelope montagnii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 23 September 2007. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F. (2006): Notes on breeding, behaviour and distribution of some birds in Ecuador. Bull. B.O.C. 126(2): 153-164.
