The wattled guan is a species of bird in the family Cracidae. It is a fairly large black cracid with blue-based, black-tipped beak and a long, red-and-yellow wattle.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily along humid montane forests on the Andean slopes from western Venezuela through Colombia and Ecuador to northern Peru. It favors mature and secondary cloud forests with dense canopy and abundant fruiting trees. Birds typically remain in the midstory to canopy, occasionally visiting forest edges and fruiting trees along ridges. Local presence can be highly uneven due to hunting pressure and habitat fragmentation.
Altitude Range
600–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This large cracid inhabits humid Andean cloud forests and is best recognized by its long, red-and-yellow wattle that can lengthen when the bird is excited. It is a shy, canopy-dwelling frugivore that plays an important role in seed dispersal. Males perform loud wing-whirring displays and deep booming calls at dawn that carry far through the forest.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats followed by glides
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly, in pairs, or in small family groups high in the canopy. Likely forms monogamous pairs with nests placed in trees, using twigs and leaves. Breeding is characterized by low clutch size and strong parental care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include deep, resonant booming notes at dawn and dusk that carry long distances. Also gives coarse grunts and guttural croaks, often accompanied by loud wing-whirring display sounds.
Plumage
Mostly glossy black with a subtle greenish sheen, smooth feathering and a slightly shaggy neck. The most striking feature is the long, pendulous red-and-yellow wattle at the throat.
Diet
Primarily consumes a wide variety of forest fruits and berries, swallowing them whole and later dispersing seeds. It supplements with seeds, tender leaves, and flowers, and may occasionally take small invertebrates. Diet composition shifts seasonally with fruit availability, leading birds to track fruiting trees across their home range.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mainly in the midstory and canopy of mature and secondary cloud forests. Often visits fruiting trees along ridgelines, landslides, and forest edges where fruits are exposed.
