Horned Guan

Oreophasis derbianus

Description

The horned guan, Oreophasis derbianus, is similar to a wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo ) in body size and shape. Males and females are an average of 46 and 37 in (116.8 and 94 cm) long, respectively. The sexes are similar in appearance but can be distinguished by their calls during the breeding season. The tail is long, thick and rounded and has a wide band of white feathers near the base or the midpoint. The majority of the plumage is black with blue streaks; the belly and breast are white with flecks of black. This species' most unique characteristic is the more than 2 in (5.1 cm), bright red horn located on the forehead between the eyes. The feet and legs are varying shades of red. The local name for the species is "pavon". "Pavo" is the Spanish word for turkey. The horned guan is also called Derby's penelope.

Behavior

Cracidae are omnivorous; fruit makes up a large percentage of their diet but leaves, buds, flowers, small mammals, large insects, and frogs are also consumed at times. The horned guan forms a strong pair bond. Breeding occurs from February through May. This species builds a fairly small nest of twigs and leaves. Cracida clutches usually include two eggs. The female incubates the eggs and cares for the precocial chicks.

Habitat

The horned guan inhabits remote, wet, dense, broadleafed forests (cloud forests), usually near rivers and in rugged terrain between the elevations of 4,931-8,218 ft (1,500-2,500 m). The ground layer of vegetation is also quite dense. Nests are placed on the ground in dense vegetation, in trees, or in bushes.

Distribution

The horned guan is found only in a narrow strip of mountains (volcanic in origin) in southwestern Mexico (Sierra Madre de Chiapas) and northwestern Guatemala. A 1965 survey revealed the presence of the species at Tajamulco, Guatemala and El Triunfo in Mexico. In 1978, the horned guan was sighted at Atitlan, Guatemala and in Mexico on the Tacana Volcano, El Triunfo, and near Tapamulco. The horned guan may still occur in the state of Oaxaca. Historically, this species inhabited an area that encompassed a 6,948-sq mi (18,000-sq km) block of land that extended up into the state of Oaxaca and included the following volcanoes: Fuego, Toliman, Atitlan, San Pedro, Santa Maria, Tajamulco, and Tacana. Other landmarks included in this species' historic range were the Zunil and Tecpan crests, the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, and the Alta Vera Paz (Guatemala).

Threats

Deforestation is an ongoing threat to this species. Large areas once inhabited by the horned guan have been cleared for agricultural purposes, primarily farmland and coffee plantations. Many areas of forest that have not been cleared have been damaged by goats and pigs; these animals can severely damage the ground layer of vegetation that the horned guan depends on for cover and food. The horned guan has been hunted intensively for food and sport. Hunting pressure continues to threaten this species despite laws protecting the species from hunting and capture for other purposes. Deforestation continues to open up previously inaccessible areas of dense forest where the horned guan is found; this exposes more birds to hunters.

Conservation and Recovery

A 24,710-acre (10,000-hectare) reserve on El Triunfo (Reserva Biotica Integral El Triunfo) administered by the Institute of Natural History in Chiapas protects a section of the horned guan habitat. A privately owned reserve also protects areas inhabited by the horned guan on the Atitlan Volcano.

Contact

Instituto Nacional de Ecología
Av. Revolución, 1425
Col. Campestre, C.P. 01040, Mexico, D.F.
http://www.ine.gob.mx/

References

Andrle, R.F. 1969. "Biology and Conservation of the Horned Guan." Amer. Phil. Soc. Year Book 1968: 276-277.

Collar, N.J., L.P. Gonzaga, N. Krabbe, A. Madrono Nieto, L.G. Naranjo, T.A. Parker III, and D.C. Wege. 1992. Threatened Birds of the Americas The ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book. Third edition, part 2 Smithsonian Institutional Press, Washington and London.