Crestless Curassow
Mitu tomentosum
Large, terrestrial bird of flood-prone lowland rainforest; generally shy and difficult to see. Note all-dark appearance and small, red bill. Found in seasonally flooded forest, gallery forest in savanna, and near oxbow lakes. Forages on the ground for fallen fruit; usually alone or in pairs. Roosts in canopy and may flush into trees when disturbed. Told from other curassows in range by chestnut (not white) belly; Black Curassow is larger and has yellow knobs at base of bill. Song is a low humming, often given at night.
Identification
The crestless curassow is 75 to 85 cm (2.5 to 2.8 ft) long. Males weigh 2,300 to 3,050 g (5.1 to 6.7 lb) and females 1,300 to 2,425 g (2.9 to 5.3 lb). It is mostly black with a dark blue to purplish gloss. Its belly and the tip of its tail are rich chestnut. Unlike most other curassows, it has no crest and no swelling on its red bill.
Taxonomy
The crestless curassow was originally described in genus Crax but genetic data confirm that Mitu is a valid genus. The crestless curassow is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Mitu tomentosum
- Authority
- (Spix, 1825)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Cracidae
- Genus
- Mitu
Range and habitat
The crestless curassow is found in eastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, northwestern Brazil, and southwestern Guyana. It mostly inhabits rainforest along rivers, though it is also found in gallery forest in the llanos of Colombia and Venezuela. It tends to favor areas with thick undergrowth. It is a bird of lowlands; in Colombia it occurs up to 500 m (1,600 ft) and in Venezuela up to 600 m (2,000 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The crestless curassow usually forages singly or in pairs but also very rarely in groups of up to 10. It mostly feeds on the ground. Its diet has not been studied but is reported to be almost entirely fallen fruits.<p>The crestless curassow's breeding season appears to coincide with the rainy season. It places its nest low in trees and lays two eggs.<p>The crestless curassow's song is "a low humming or booming 'uuut ... uu-UU-uu-uhoot'", performed year round but more frequently in the breeding season. Its alarm call is a "series of sharp, reedy whistles, 'queet'".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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