White-winged guan

Appearance

The white-winged guan has an average length of 85.2 cm and average weight of 1.6 kg. It has blackish brown plumage overlain by a green gloss. Much of its forepart has short whitish or pale gray streaks. Its white primaries show as a slash on the folded wing. Its reddish eye is surrounded by bare purple skin, its bill is dark gray with a black tip, and it has an orange dewlap.

Distribution

The white-winged guan is now found only in the departments of Lambayeque, Cajamarca, and Piura in northwestern Peru. It is confined to an area that is at most 190 km long and 40 km wide and is divided by a major road and its accompanying human settlement. The 1876 specimen had been collected much further north than the current known area.

Status

The IUCN has assessed the white-winged guan as Endangered, an improvement in 2018 from its previous Critically Endangered status. Its population of approximately 200 mature birds is believed to be stable. Several refuges have been created specifically to protect the species and reintroduction efforts have helped augment the current six to 10 locations that host the bird. However, habitat destruction and hunting remain as threats.

Habitat

The white-winged guan inhabits a very specialized landscape, small forested ravines and nearby slopes on the west side of the Andes. In elevation it generally ranges between 500 and 1,100 m but has been reported as low as 300 m and as high as 1,385 m.

Reproduction

The white-winged guan is territorial and mated pairs stay together over successive years. Their breeding season spans from November to May, a period which overlaps the resource-abundant rainy season. They construct a nest of twigs and leaves in vine-covered trees, typically about 2.5 m above the ground. The clutch size can be one to three eggs but two is the usual number.

Food

The white-winged guan is usually found in pairs or family groups, though several groups commonly will feed in one fruiting tree. It eats fruits, flowers, leaves, and seeds. Fruits of "Ficus" figs and "Cordia lutea" are the most important part of the diet because they are available during most of the year.

Evolution

The white-winged guan was originally known from three specimens collected in 1876 and 1877. It was not positively seen again until 1977, though there had been hints of its continued existence in 1969. Surveys from about 1980 on found individuals in many other locations than the 1977 sightings, though still within a small area.