Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Vulnerable

Game Birds

Great Curassow

Crax rubra

Great Curassow (Crax rubra) — Gamebirds of Central America & Caribbean.

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Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

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Birds of Colombia Birds of Costa Rica Birds of Ecuador Birds of Mexico

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The Great Curassow (Crax rubra) is a member of the Cracidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 4.1 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Vulnerable.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

VU Vulnerable

Facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Galliformes
Family Cracidae Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans
Genus Crax
Species rubra

Where it lives

Mexico to Peru

Quick facts

Weight: 4.1 kg
Diet: Fruit-eaters
Family: Cracidae
Order: Galliformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Critically Endangered

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Great Curassow is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Great Curassow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Great Curassow (Crax rubra) 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 Peru.

It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 4.1 kg, with a wing length of about 38.1 cm and a tail of around 34 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 662,000 km².

Songs & calls

Great Curassow — Song

Recorded by Chris Harrison Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Great Curassow?

The Great Curassow is a very large bird that weighs around 4.1 kg.

Where does the Great Curassow live?

The Great Curassow is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Mexico to Peru, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Great Curassow belong to?

The Great Curassow (Crax rubra) belongs to the Cracidae family, in the order Galliformes.

What does the Great Curassow eat?

The Great Curassow is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.

Does the Great Curassow migrate?

The Great Curassow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Great Curassow 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 Great Curassow make?

1 real field recording of the Great Curassow — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Great Curassow's range?

The Great Curassow has a mapped global range of about 662,000 km².