- Penelopina nigra
Identification
59–65 cm (23¼-25½ in); female large than male
Male
- Glossy black overall plumage
- Red legs, bill and wattle
Female
- Brown overall plumage with black barring
- Grey bill
- Dull reddish legs
Distribution
South America: found from southern Mexico to Nicaragua
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Some authorities recognise 3 subspecies[2]; P. n. nigra, P. n. dickeyi and P. n. rufescens
Habitat
They are mainly found in establish cloud and pine-oak forests. Also they can sometimes be found in secondary forests and pine plantations.
Behaviour
Diet
Their main diet consists of berries, fruit and leaves, with the addition of some animal material, such as mice, salamanders and fresh water crabs.
Breeding
They construct their nest from leaves, twigs and rootlets and placed in a tangle of vines about 15m above ground. The clutch contains 1 or two white eggs, incubated by the female for 25-28 days. The young are precocial and leave the nest within a 24 hours.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Sept 2018)
- Neotropical Birds
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Highland Guan. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Highland_Guan
