Biology
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Pairs or small family groups tend to be observed foraging together during the day, mainly on the forest floor, for fallen fruit, seeds, tender leaves, grasses, buds, and small vertebrates and invertebrates (2) (4) (7). However, the birds will seek refuge in trees if alarmed, and like most birds, they roost in trees at night (4).
The northern helmeted curassow has a curious courtship ritual. The male attempts to attract a female with an offering of food held in his beak. By coming to the male and accepting the food, the female demonstrates a willingness to mate (5). This species of curassow nests in March and usually two young hatch around mid-May (2) (5). The chicks are fed by their parents until they learn to eat from the ground (5).
Conservation
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Almost all remaining forests in northern Venezuela are now legally protected and records of this rare bird exist from 18 national parks, but this has failed to safeguard it from the threat of poachers, which continue to illegally hunt it within these areas (2) (6). The situation is worse in Colombia, with the species being recorded within only one 'protected area', El Cocuy National Park, Arauca, which is also ineffectively protected (2). This rare curassow is legally protected in Venezuela and an education programme has been established to raise awareness of the plight of the bird and its habitat (2). Captive breeding and reintroduction of the bird have also been proposed for Venezuela, as a means of restoring natural populations where they have declined (2) (7). However, until legislation against hunting is strictly enforced, and national parks are adequately protected, reintroduced individuals may have a poor chance of survival. Thus, conservation efforts should focus on protecting existing populations, and the ever diminishing habitat on which they rely.
Description
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This large and unusual-looking bird is named for the bizarre bluish-grey fig-shaped casque on its forehead (2) (4). The plumage is predominantly black, with a greenish and bluish gloss to the mantle and breast, while the belly, under-tail coverts and tail tip are a contrasting snowy white, and the bill and legs are a conspicuous coral red (2). Although the sexes are usually alike, there is a rare morph of the female that has rufous-brown and black barred plumage (2) (4). Males are larger than females, but both are robust and strong (5).
Habitat
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This species is confined to subtropical cloud-forest in steep, mountainous regions between 500 and 2,200 m (mostly 1,000 to 1,500 m) above sea level (2), where it favours humid gorges with plenty of undergrowth and avoids forest edges (2) (6).
Range
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The northern helmeted curassow is found on the eastern Andes of west Venezuela and neighbouring north-east Colombia (2) (6).
Status
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Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List 2006 (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES in Colombia (3).
Threats
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The northern helmeted curassow has undergone a relatively rapid decline as the result of indiscriminate hunting and long-term destruction, fragmentation and alteration of its habitat (2). Sadly, wherever curassows occur, they tend to be considered prime game species, due to their large size and succulent flesh (4). This species has also, at least formerly, been illegally hunted for use of its bony casque to make traditional jewellery (2) (6). Essential forest habitat has been destroyed in both Venezuela and Colombia for conversion into cattle ranches at lower altitudes and for narcotics cultivation higher up (2). Furthermore, opening up of forest habitat to human development only serves to increase the bird's vulnerability to the pressures of hunting, and the limited range and low reproductive rate of this species only compound such threats (4).
Helmeted curassow
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Peggy, the Northern Helmeted Curassow at the
Denver Zoo, USA
The helmeted curassow (Pauxi pauxi) or northern helmeted curassow, is a large terrestrial bird in the family Cracidae found in the subtropical cloud-forest in steep, mountainous regions of western Venezuela and northern Colombia. There are two subspecies found in different mountain ranges. It is a mostly black bird with a white tip to its tail, a red bill and a distinctive grey casque on its forehead. The population of this bird is in decline and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "endangered".
Description
It is a large terrestrial black curassow with a small head, large bluish grey casque on forehead, red bill, white-tipped tail feathers, greenish glossed mantle and breast feathers, and white below. Both sexes are similar. Length in adult birds can vary from 80 to 100 cm (31 to 39 in). The male, at 3.6 kg (8 lbs), is larger than the female, at 2.6 kg (5.8 lbs). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 36.3 to 42.7 cm (14.3 to 16.8 in), the tail is 30.4 to 36.2 cm (12.0 to 14.3 in) and the tarsus is 8.9 to 11.2 cm (3.5 to 4.4 in).[2] Some rare rufous morph female has a black barred and reddish brown plumage. For some time, it also contained the horned curassow taxa as subspecies. Nowadays its southern congener is considered a distinct species P. unicornis.
Distribution
One of the largest birds in its habitat, the helmeted curassow is distributed in the eastern Andes of Venezuela and Colombia. In a recent study done in Tamá National Natural Park of Colombia, it suggested that the park contains a significant population of helmeted curassow with a population density of 4.8 individuals per square kilometer.[3] Furthermore, it was noted that most of the observed helmeted curassow occupied the lower strata, forest floor and subcanopy, of the forest, where they are vulnerable to poachers during the dry season.[3] The diet consists mainly of seeds, fruits, insects and small animals. The female lays two cream-colored eggs and incubates them for about 30 days.
Status
The helmeted curassow is listed on Appendix II of CITES. Formerly classified as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN,[4] recent research shows that its numbers are decreasing more and more rapidly. It is consequently uplisted to Endangered status in 2008.[4]
Taxonomy
There are two subspecies:
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Mérida helmeted curassow, Pauxi pauxi pauxi
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Cordillera de Mérida into Cordillera Oriental, Colombia
- Casque larger, egg-shaped
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Perijá helmeted curassow, Pauxi pauxi gilliardi
- Serranía del Perijá
- Casque smaller, less bulbous, rather cylindrical in shape.
Their evolutionary history is not well researched compared to other curassows. The helmeted curassows probably are a lineage of Late Miocene (Tortonian–Messinian, about 8–7 million years ago) origin. This species' present-day distribution suggests that it became isolated some 6 million years ago as its mountain range uplifted.[5] It is not known when gene flow between the subspecies ceased.
References
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^ BirdLife International (2016). "Pauxi pauxi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22678497A92776062. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678497A92776062.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
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^ Curassows, Guans and Chachalacas by Nigel Hughes. Wildside Books (UK). 2006, ISBN 0905062264
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^ a b Setina, Víctor; Lizcano, Diego J.; Brooks, Daniel M.; Silveira, Luís Fábio (2012). "Population Density of the Helmeted Curassow (Pauxi pauxi) in Tamá National Park, Colombia". The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 124 (2): 316–320. doi:10.1676/11-097.1. ISSN 1559-4491. S2CID 54671721.
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^ a b "What's new (2007)". BirdLife International. 2007-08-28. Archived from the original on 2008-05-23. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
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^ Pereira, Sérgio Luiz; Baker, Allan J. (2004-07-01). Fleischer, R. C. (ed.). "Vicariant Speciation of Curassows (Aves, Cracidae): A Hypothesis Based on Mitochondrial DNA Phylogeny". The Auk. 121 (3): 682–694. doi:10.1093/auk/121.3.682. ISSN 1938-4254.
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Helmeted curassow: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Peggy, the Northern Helmeted Curassow at the
Denver Zoo, USA
The helmeted curassow (Pauxi pauxi) or northern helmeted curassow, is a large terrestrial bird in the family Cracidae found in the subtropical cloud-forest in steep, mountainous regions of western Venezuela and northern Colombia. There are two subspecies found in different mountain ranges. It is a mostly black bird with a white tip to its tail, a red bill and a distinctive grey casque on its forehead. The population of this bird is in decline and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "endangered".
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