- Penelope marail
Identification
63 to 68 cm.
- Blackish head and breast with white spots
- Red gular patch
- Greenish-olive gloss on back, wings and central tail feathers
- Bluish-black lateral tail feathers
- Brownish underparts
- jacupeba is slightly smaller, paler and more greyish brown
Sexes similar, males larger than females. Juveniles undescribed but probably similar to adults.
Distribution
Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized:
- P. m. marail in the tropical Guianas and eastern Venezuela (south of the Orinoco)
- P. m. jacupeba in southeast Venezuela and northern Amazonian Brazil
Habitat
Moist lowland forest
Behaviour
Breeding
Feeds on fruit, obviously quite selective. One study showed that four plants accounted for 75% of all food taken. Takes sometimes grit.
Forages singly or in small groups of up to 6 birds, mostly in trees but sometimes also on the ground.
Breeding
Breeding from October to November in French Guiana, December to February in Surinam, chicks recorded in Brazil in August.
The nest is cup-like and placed high in the fork of a tree. Lays 2 to 3 eggs.
Movements
Not well known but presumably a sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2016)
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2016. IOC World Bird Names (version 6.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Marail Guan. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Marail_Guan
