Photo: Jerry Oldenettel from Socorro, NM, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Crested Guan
Penelope purpurascens
Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens) — Gamebirds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 5 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
See what's near you right nowThe Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens) is a member of the Cracidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 2.1 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Galliformes
- Family Cracidae Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans
- Genus Penelope
- Species purpurascens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 2.1 kg
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Cracidae
- Order
- Galliformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Crested Guan is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Crested Guan is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens) belongs to the Cracidae family of the order Galliformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Mexico to nw SA.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 2.1 kg, with a wing length of about 38 cm and a tail of around 36.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Crested Guan?
The Crested Guan is a very large bird that weighs around 2.1 kg.
Where does the Crested Guan live?
The Crested Guan is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Mexico to nw SA, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Crested Guan belong to?
The Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens) belongs to the Cracidae family, in the order Galliformes.
What does the Crested Guan eat?
The Crested Guan is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Crested Guan migrate?
The Crested Guan is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Crested Guan endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Crested Guan make?
1 real field recording of the Crested Guan — including its dawn song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Crested Guan's range?
The Crested Guan has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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