A large forest bird that searches the ground for fruit, seeds, and other food. The glossy black male and chestnut female look very different.
The male is black, with a curled crest and a yellow knob at the base of the bill. The female is chestnut, with white barring on the wings and tail.
Great Curassows search forest floors for fallen fruit, seeds and small animals. Pairs or family groups may run from danger or fly into trees.
A 2018 camera study in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula found use of regenerating forest in a landscape protected from hunting for at least sixteen years.
Tree nests and ground feeding link different parts of the forest. Protecting remaining forests while restoring neighbouring habitat can retain places for families to live.
IUCN Red List (conservation institution account) · Vulnerable · Global
Hunting and forest loss or fragmentation are pressures. Research supports regenerating forest as complementary habitat when birds are protected from hunting.