Yungas Guan

About the Yungas Guan

The Yungas guan (Penelope bridgesi) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in the Andean foothills of Argentina and Bolivia. Prior to late 2020, the Yungas guan was considered a subspecies of dusky-legged guan (Penelope obscura). A 2018 publication detailed many morphological differences between them. An earlier publication had highlighted their very different vocalizations. Based on that evidence and the members' personal knowledge, the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society elevated it to species rank in December 2020, and the International Ornithological Congress followed suit in January 2021.

Male and female Yungas guans are alike. They are chestnut above and dull reddish brown below. The belly has brown to orange horizontal markings and the tail is dark brown. The head and back of the neck are black. Feathers of the neck, back, and chest have white edges that are significantly larger than those of P. obscura. The bare skin of the face is slate gray and the wattle is red.

The Yungas guan is larger than P. obscura; the lengths of nine... Wikipedia →