Location in Zoo
Geographic Range
Scientific Information
Lifestyle and Lifespan
Conservation
A large bird with forward curling feathers on their heads, and long tails. The base of the Great Curassow's bill is yellow with a round bulge. The coloring of the female varies; they can be black or chesnut-colored with black or white bars and their heads and crest may be striped with black and white. The males are a lustrous blue or black and have white bellies.
Curassows belong to the Cracidae family alongside the guans and chachalacas, and are the largest members of this group. The cracids are important seed dispersers in the Neotropical forests where the family is found. The Great Curassow is the largest cracid and reach lengths of up to one metre from beak to tail!
Curassows are a very sturdy build bird. They have long legs for running and scratching the ground. Their sturdy beak is also a very important adaptation for their foraging behavior.
Forest in lowland mountain regions
The curassow finds its food by foraging on fallen fruits, berries and seeds. They are predominately frugivores. Additionally they may scrape the ground in search of insects or small animals.
Curassows play an important role as seed dispersers!
Curassows spend much of their time stalking about the forest floor in search of fallen fruits. They scratch the ground much like chickens, and will eat large insects or small animals. When threatened they will run rather than fly, but will use flight to seek shelter in the trees. Low branches are also their go to for roosting.
The male curassow will utter a high-pitched whining whistle when there are signs of danger. At other times, a group of curassows communicate by low-pitched grunting sounds.
Curassows are monogamous and travel in pairs or in small groups. The male curassow leads his family, and whistles when there are signs of danger. The group also communicates by grunting.
Females lay two eggs between March and May.
2 to 4 eggs
Listed as Vulnerable by IUCN, and listed on Appendix II of CITES.