Photo: Fernando Reyes Palencia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Highland Guan
Penelopina nigra
Highland Guan (Penelopina nigra) — Gamebirds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Highland Guan (Penelopina nigra) is a member of the Cracidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 890 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Vulnerable.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Galliformes
- Family Cracidae Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans
- Genus Penelopina
- Species nigra
Quick facts
- Weight
- 890 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Cracidae
- Order
- Galliformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Highland 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 Highland Guan is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Highland Guan (Penelopina nigra) is a member of the Cracidae family, within the order Galliformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA s Mexico to Nicaragua.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 890 g, with a wing length of about 24 cm and a tail of around 26.3 cm.
It is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is a focus of conservation concern. Vulnerable species face a high risk of extinction in the wild if pressures continue.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 103,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Highland Guan?
The Highland Guan is a large bird that weighs around 890 g.
Where does the Highland Guan live?
The Highland Guan is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA s Mexico to Nicaragua, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Highland Guan belong to?
The Highland Guan (Penelopina nigra) belongs to the Cracidae family, in the order Galliformes.
What does the Highland Guan eat?
The Highland Guan is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Highland Guan migrate?
The Highland Guan is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Highland Guan endangered?
It is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is a focus of conservation concern Vulnerable species face a high risk of extinction in the wild if pressures continue.
What sound does the Highland Guan make?
1 real field recording of the Highland Guan — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Highland Guan's range?
The Highland Guan has a mapped global range of about 103,000 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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