Salvin's Curassow

About the Salvin's Curassow

Salvin's curassow (Mitu salvini) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Salvin's curassow for a time was placed in genus Crax but genetic data confirm that Mitu is a valid genus. Salvin's curassow is monotypic.

Salvin's curassow is 75 to 89 cm (2.5 to 2.9 ft) long and weighs about 3,100 g (6.8 lb). It is mostly black with little gloss. The belly and the end of the tail feathers are white. It has an erectile crest that is usually carried flat.

Salvin's curassow is found east of the Andes in southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and northern Peru. It inhabits humid terra firme, primarily at the beginning of the wet season (March to April), and várzea before and after that period. It prefers primary forest. In elevation it ranges as high as about 400 m (1,300 ft) in Ecuador and 600 m (2,000 ft) in Colombia. Historically it had been found up to about 900 m (3,000 ft).

Salvin's curassow is basically sedentary, though pairs may shift their territories seasonally in response to food availability... Wikipedia →