Horned guan
Horned guan | |
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Horned guan, Sendero Vega Del Volcan, San Marcos Department, Guatemala | |
Female Oreophasis derbianus call | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Galliformes |
Family: | Cracidae |
Subfamily: | Oreophasinae Sclater & Salvin, 1870 |
Genus: | Oreophasis G.R. Gray, 1844 |
Species: | O. derbianus
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Binomial name | |
Oreophasis derbianus Gray, 1844
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The horned guan (Oreophasis derbianus) is an endangered species in an ancient group of birds of the family Cracidae, which are related to the Australasian megapodes or mound builders (Megapodiidae). It is found in Mexico, Guatemala, and possibly Honduras.[3][1]
Taxonomy and systematics
The horned guan is not closely related to other guans, but merely resembles these birds in overall shape and color, whereas the horn is more reminiscent of the helmeted curassows. The species is the only survivor of a very ancient lineage of cracids that has been evolving independently from all other living members of this family for at least 20 million years, and possibly as much as 40 million years. Given that the basal relationships of the living cracids are not well resolved, the horned guan is often placed in its own subfamily Oreophasinae. Other taxonomists have placed it in either subfamily Cracinae or Penelopinae.[4][5][6]
The
The horned guan is
Description
The horned guan is 75 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) long. Its most distictive feature is the tall, red, fleshy "horn" on its forehead. It has a small head, long strong legs, and a long broad tail. The sexes are alike in plumage but males have a taller horn and longer wings, tail, and legs than females. Adults have a glossy black head, neck, and upperparts with a bluish sheen. Their tail is black with a wide white band near its base. Their throat, breast, and upper belly are whitish with black flecks and their lower belly and flanks are brown. They have a small red dewlap, a white iris, a yellow bill, and red legs and feet. Juveniles resemble adults but are duller and have a smaller horn.[6][7]
Distribution and habitat
The horned guan is found in the southern Mexican state of
Behavior
Movement
The horned guan is a year-round resident throughout its range.[1]
Feeding
The horned guan feeds mostly on a very wide variety of fruits; green leaves are a significant part of its diet with flowers and possibly insects eaten in small amounts. It forages singly or in small groups at all levels of the forest including the ground. Many seeds pass intact through its system, which suggests that it might be a significant dispersal agent.[6][7][9][10]
Breeding
Most of the information about the horned guan's breeding biology comes from Mexico in a study published in 1995. Its breeding season appears to span at least from January to March. It is believed to be
Vocalization
Male and female horned guans have very different vocalizations. Males have a repertoire of at least five calls and females have seven or eight. Female's calls are "guttural and louder compared to those of males". The male's main call is "a very deep, slow and soft 'mooing'...comprising seven notes, a single brief hum followed by six paired hums, i.e. 'hum; hum, hummm; hum, hummm; hum, hummmmm' " that can be repeated for an hour. Females usually call in response to males, with a "guurk, guurk, guurk,... or guauuu, guauuu, guauuu".[6][10]
Status
The
References
- ^ . Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2024). "Megapodes, guans, guineafowl, New World quail". IOC World Bird List. v 14.1. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- PMID 12554460 PDF fulltext
- ^ Eo Soo Hyung, Bininda-Emonds, O.R.P., and Carroll, J.P. (2009). A phylogenetic supertree of the fowls (Galloanserae, Aves). Zool. Scripta. 38(5): 465–481.
- ^ a b c d e f g del Hoyo, J. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Horned Guan (Oreophasis derbianus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.horgua1.01 retrieved April 7, 2024
- ^ ISBN 978-0-544-37326-6.
- ^ Check-list of North American Birds (7th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. p. 114.
- ^ a b del Hoyo, J., and A. Motis (2004). Update chapter. In Curassows and Related Birds (J. Delacour, and D. Amadon), Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, and American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. pp. 322–476.
- ^ a b c González-García, F., Santana-C., E., Jordano Barbudo, P.D., Rico-Gray, V. and Urios Moliner, V. (2017). Diet and feeding behavior of the Horned Guan (Oreophasis derbianus) in Mexico. Wilson J. Orn.. 129(4): 771–782.
External links
- BirdLife species factsheet
- Article Aventuras Naturales
- Horned Guan image; Article (Oil paintings)
- Horned Guan photo gallery VIREO