Black-fronted Piping-guan - Pipile jacutinga

Black-fronted Piping-guan (Pipile jacutinga)

Intervales, São Paulo, Brazil
April 2004

The Black-throated Piping-guan is distributed in south-east Brazil and adjacent areas of Paraguay and Argentina. Habitat loss and hunting have combined to greatly reduce its numbers and it is classified as Vulnerable by Birdlife International.

Its most striking feature is the large white patch on the wing-coverts but note also the black forehead and the facial skin restricted to a large eye-ring both of which features are unique to this species of Pipile. It has a white crown and nape, a large red throat wattle with blue at the front and a pale blue bill with black tip.

It is found in Atlantic Rain Forest where it feeds on fruiting trees such as the Cecropia fruit that can be seen in the 4th photo. It is usually in trees but occasionally comes to ground to eat fallen fruit or at salt licks.

There is an excellent page by Birdlife International here.

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