The great curassow is a large, pheasant-like bird from the Neotropical rainforests, its range extending from eastern Mexico, through Central America to western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. Male birds are black with curly crests and yellow beaks; females come in three colour morphs, barred, rufous and black. These birds form small groups, foraging mainly on the ground for fruits and arthropods, and the occasional small vertebrate, but they roost and nest in trees. This species is monogamous, the male usually building the rather small nest of leaves in which two eggs are laid. This species is threatened by loss of habitat and hunting, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "vulnerable".
Region
Mesoamerica to northwestern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs from eastern Mexico (including the Yucatán Peninsula) through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama to western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. It inhabits lowland humid and semi-humid evergreen forests, favoring mature primary forest but also using well-developed secondary growth. Birds forage mostly on the ground but retreat to the canopy to roost and nest. They generally avoid heavily fragmented forest and open agricultural land, persisting best in large, relatively undisturbed tracts.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Great curassows are key seed dispersers in Neotropical forests, swallowing large fruits whole and passing or regurgitating viable seeds. Males are glossy black with a distinctive curly crest and a yellow bill knob, while females occur in three color morphs (barred, rufous, and black). They are shy, often hunted birds that spend much of their time walking on the forest floor but roost and nest in trees.
Great curassow chick in Costa Rica
Temperament
wary and cautious
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; reluctant flier
Social Behavior
Typically seen in pairs or small family groups. The species is monogamous; the male often assists with nest placement and protection, with a small leafy nest placed in trees. Two eggs are commonly laid, and pairs maintain territories within suitable forest.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
The male gives deep, low-pitched booming notes that carry far through the forest, often at dawn. Both sexes produce grunts, clucks, and soft whistles used for contact and alarm.
