Pénélope de Spix

Identification

The four subspecies of Spix's guan differ in weight and plumage, and there are intergrades between them. Their length is 66–76 cm (26–30 in). The male and female nominate P. j. jacquacu weigh 1.24–1.36 kg (2.7–3.0 lb) and 1.14 kg (2.5 lb) respectively. The male P. j. orienticola weighs 1.40–1.78 kg (3.1–3.9 lb) and the female 1.27–1.72 kg (2.8–3.8 lb). The nominate subspecies is bronzy olive green above and bright reddish below. "Grant's" is much darker; the upper parts have a blue-green gloss and the red underside is dark. P. j. speciosa's plumage is similar to that of the nominate subspecies and P. j. orienticola's size and color scheme are between those of the nominate and "Grant's".

Taxonomie

Four subspecies of Spix's guan are recognized, "Grant's" guan (P. j. granti) and the "Spix's guan" group of P. j. jacquacu, P. j. orienticola, and P. j. speciosa. It was at times considered conspecific with dusky-legged guan (P. obscura) or crested guan (P. purpurascens). P. j. speciosa was once considered a race of dusky-legged guan, and "Grant's guan" was formerly considered a separate species.

Nom scientifique

Penelope jacquacu

Autorité

Spix, 1825

Ordre

Galliformes

Famille

Cracidae

Genre

Penelope

Répartition et habitat

Spix's guan is found in the upper Orinoco River and western Amazon River basins of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. From north to south the subspecies sequence is granti, orienticola, jacquacu, and speciosa. It inhabits both terra firma and várzea (seasonally flooded) forest. In the upper elevations of Peru and Bolivia it is in cloud forest and at lower elevations it is in humid rainforest. The species is assumed to be sedentary.

Migration

Resident species

Comportement

The timing of Spix's guan's breeding varies geographically; examples include from January to May in Venezuela and August and September in Peru. The one nest that has been described was made of leaves and placed about 5 m (16 ft) up in a tree. The incubation and fledging periods are not known.<p>Spix's guan forages singly or in small family groups, mostly from the middle to the tops of trees but in some regions on the ground. Its diet is mainly fruits and seeds though it has also been reported to follow army ants to take arthropods.

Conservation

Tendance de la population

declining