Crestless curassow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crestless curassow |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Mitu
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| Species: |
tomentosum
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| Synonyms | |
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Crax tomentosa (Spix, 1825) |
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The crestless curassow (Mitu tomentosum) is a type of bird. It belongs to a bird family called Cracidae. This family includes chachalacas, guans, and curassows. You can find this bird in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, and Venezuela.
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About the Crestless Curassow
What Does a Crestless Curassow Look Like?
The crestless curassow is a fairly large bird. It can be about 75 to 85 centimeters (about 2.5 to 2.8 feet) long. Male birds are heavier, weighing between 2.3 and 3.05 kilograms (about 5 to 6.7 pounds). Females are a bit lighter, from 1.3 to 2.4 kilograms (about 2.9 to 5.3 pounds).
Most of its body is black. This black color often has a shiny dark blue or purplish look. Its belly and the very tip of its tail are a rich, reddish-brown color. What makes this curassow special is that it doesn't have a crest (a feathery tuft on its head). Also, its red beak is smooth, without any bumps.
Where Do Crestless Curassows Live?
Crestless curassows live in specific parts of South America. You can find them in eastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, northwestern Brazil, and southwestern Guyana.
They mostly live in rainforests, especially near rivers. They also live in "gallery forests." These are forests that grow along rivers in open grassland areas called llanos in Colombia and Venezuela. These birds like places with lots of thick plants and bushes close to the ground. They prefer low-lying areas. In Colombia, they live up to 500 meters (about 1,640 feet) high. In Venezuela, they can be found up to 600 meters (about 1,970 feet) high.
How Crestless Curassows Behave
What Do Crestless Curassows Eat?
Crestless curassows usually look for food alone or in pairs. Sometimes, very rarely, you might see them in small groups of up to 10 birds. They mostly find their food on the ground. Scientists haven't studied their diet a lot. But it seems they eat almost entirely fallen fruits.
How Do Crestless Curassows Raise Their Young?
The breeding season for crestless curassows seems to happen when it's rainy. They build their nests low down in trees. Female curassows usually lay two eggs.
What Sounds Do Crestless Curassows Make?
The song of the crestless curassow is a low, humming or booming sound. It sounds like "uuut ... uu-UU-uu-uhoot." They sing this song all year, but they sing more often during the breeding season. When they are alarmed or sense danger, they make a series of sharp, whistling calls that sound like "queet."
Protecting the Crestless Curassow
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) keeps track of how many animals are left in the wild. They first thought the crestless curassow was not in much danger. But in 2012, they changed its status to "Near Threatened." This means it could become endangered in the future.
We don't know exactly how many crestless curassows there are. However, experts believe their numbers will go down. This is mainly because their homes (habitats) are being broken up into smaller pieces. Also, too many of these birds are being hunted.
See also
In Spanish: Paujil culicolorado para niños
