The sickle-winged guan is a species of bird in the chachalaca, guan, and curassow family Cracidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane and cloud forests from Colombia through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. It favors mature forest but also uses forest edges, secondary growth, and fruit-rich clearings. Birds typically forage in the midstory to canopy, moving along ridges and steep ravines. Local altitudinal movements may occur following fruiting trees.
Altitude Range
800–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
A shy Andean forest specialist, the sickle-winged guan is most often detected by its loud wing-whirring display at dawn and dusk rather than by sight. It plays an important role as a seed disperser for many cloud-forest trees. The rufous panels in its wings are striking in flight and help separate it from similar guans. Local hunting and forest fragmentation can depress numbers in some areas.
Temperament
shy and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats followed by glides
Social Behavior
Typically seen in pairs or small family groups, sometimes loosely associating at fruiting trees. Nesting is in trees or dense vegetation, with a small clutch and strong parental care. Largely sedentary and territorial within suitable tracts of forest.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include low, resonant hoots and clucking notes, often given from concealed perches at dawn. A distinctive non-vocal display is a loud wing-whirring or rattling sound during short flights or display bursts.
Plumage
Overall dark brown to sooty-brown plumage with a slight olive or bronzy sheen; flight feathers rich rufous, very evident in flight. Long tail and a small, slight crest give a streamlined profile.
Diet
Feeds mainly on fruits and berries, swallowing whole and dispersing seeds over distance. Supplements its diet with tender leaves, buds, and flowers, and occasionally small invertebrates. Often tracks seasonal fruiting, shifting locally to the most productive trees.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the midstory and canopy of humid montane forest, especially at fruiting trees along slopes and ridgelines. Will also descend to edges and secondary growth where fruit is abundant.
