Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Marail Guan
Penelope marail
Marail Guan (Penelope marail) — Gamebirds of South America.
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The Marail Guan (Penelope marail) is a member of the Cracidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 880 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Galliformes
- Family Cracidae Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans
- Genus Penelope
- Species marail
Quick facts
- Weight
- 880 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Cracidae
- Order
- Galliformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Marail 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 Marail Guan is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Marail Guan (Penelope marail) is a species of bird in the Cracidae family, part of the order Galliformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA n.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 880 g, with a wing length of about 32.1 cm and a tail of around 34.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Marail Guan?
The Marail Guan is a large bird that weighs around 880 g.
Where does the Marail Guan live?
The Marail Guan is found across South America with a range covering SA n, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Marail Guan belong to?
The Marail Guan (Penelope marail) belongs to the Cracidae family, in the order Galliformes.
What does the Marail Guan eat?
The Marail Guan is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Marail Guan migrate?
The Marail Guan is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Marail Guan endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Marail Guan make?
1 real field recording of the Marail 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 Marail Guan's range?
The Marail Guan has a mapped global range of about 1.2 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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