Bare-faced Curassow - Crax fasciolata

Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata)

Brazil

These large birds weigh almost 3 kilos and are found in humid forest and at the edges of woodland.

They are sexually dimorphic as can be seen from these photos with the male all black apart from his very white belly and yellow bill and cere. The female looks very different with extensive barring on her upperparts, rufous chest and belly and bright red legs.

Female Bare-faced Curassow, Pixaim, Mato Grosso, Brazil, December 2006 - click for larger image

They feed on seeds, flowers and fruit that have fallen to the ground. At night they often roost in trees, as seen in the third photo, where they are safer from predators such as Jaguar.

There are illustrations in HBW, Volume 2, Pages 323, 331 and 360; and Sick, Plate 10

Female Bare-faced Curassow, Thaimaçu, Pará, Brazil, April 2003 - click for larger image

Male and Female Bare-faced Curassow, Carajás, Pará, Brazil, November 2005 - click for larger image

Bare-faced Curassow Family, Carajás, Pará, Brazil, November 2005 - click for larger image

Bare-faced Curassow Family, Pixaim, Mato Grosso, Brazil, December 2006 - click for larger image

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