Yungas Guan
Penelope bridgesi
Large guan with a long tail and red throat wattle. Dark brown overall with extensive white markings on wings. Unlike most other members of its genus, Yungas has dull grayish legs. Found in montane forests and edges. Listen for loud, harsh calls often given in a series. Restricted range in northwestern Argentina and southern Bolivia. Usually in pairs or small groups; often seen feeding at fruiting trees, but can be seen walking on the ground.
Identification
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. <p>The Yungas guan is larger than P. obscura; the lengths of nine specimens were between 77.0 cm (30.3 in) and 89.0 cm (35.0 in) compared to 48.0 cm (18.9 in) and 66.0 cm (26.0 in) for two specimens of P. obscura.
Taxonomy
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.
- Scientific name
- Penelope bridgesi
- Authority
- Gray, GR, 1860
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Cracidae
- Genus
- Penelope
Range and habitat
The Yungas guan is found on the east side of the Andes in the Southern Andean Yungas of southwestern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina. It inhabits subtropical evergreen forest from below 1,000 m (3,300 ft) up to approximately 1,900 m (6,200 ft).
Behavior
The Yungas guan eats fruit and leaves with the proportions and species of each varying throughout its range. Though the bird is generally sedentary, it is thought to change its elevation in different seasons. The species' breeding season is mainly between October and December.
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Breeding adult males are striking black and white with bright red triangle on breast. Nonbreeding males, females, and immatures are streaky below with a bold head pattern. Always look for the very thick, pale pinkish bill. Fairly common and widespread in eastern North America, especially in deciduous forests. Winters to northern South America. Visits feeders. Listen for sweet robinlike song and squeaky call. Females are sometimes confused with Purple Finch but note much larger overall size, large pinkish bill, and bolder white markings on wings. Also compare females and immature males with extremely similar Black-headed Grosbeak, which is usually identifiable by range. Rose-breasted usually has more extensive, coarser streaking on underparts and usually lacks orange tones.
Jackson's Hornbill
Tockus jacksoni
A medium-sized black-and-white hornbill. Males have a mostly red bill with a small yellow or white tip; females have an all-black bill. Both sexes show white spotting across the wing. Found locally in dry savanna, usually in pairs or small groups. Similar to Von der Decken’s and Northern Red-billed Hornbills, but separated from the former by the white-spotted wing and from the latter by the yellow-tipped (male) or all-black (female) bill. The call is a series of low clucks.
Uniform Antshrike
Thamnophilus unicolor
A well-named antshrike of subtropical forest understory in the Andes. Male is uniform dark gray with no distinguishing features; female almost equally nondescript, plain brown overall with contrasting gray face. Stout bill with hooked tip, like other antshrikes. Usually seen singly or in pairs in the lower levels of montane forest, rarely coming into the open. Sometimes follows mixed-species flocks. Found at higher elevations than most other antshrikes. Listen for short series of “awh” notes, accelerating slightly.
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