The bearded guan (''Penelope barbata'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

in the family

Cracidae The chachalacas, guans, and curassows are birds in the Family (biology), family Cracidae. These are species of tropical and subtropical Central America, Central and South America. The range of one species, the plain chachalaca, just reaches south ...

, the

chachalaca Chachalacas are galliform birds from the genus ''Ortalis''. These birds are found in wooded habitats in the far southern United States (Texas), Mexico, and Central and South America. They are social, can be very noisy and often remain fairly ...

guan Guan may refer to: * Guan (bird), any of a number of bird species of the family Cracidae, of South and Central America * Guan (surname), several similar Chinese surnames ** Guān, Chinese surname * Guan (state), ancient Chinese city-state * Guan ( ...

s, and

curassow Curassows are one of the three major groups of cracid birds. They comprise the largest-bodied species of the cracid family. Three of the four genera are restricted to tropical South America; a single species of ''Crax'' ranges north to Mexico. ...

s. It is found in

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

is subtropical or tropical moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...

. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

Appearance

The bearded guan (''Penelope barbata)'' is a small mostly brown bird that is about 55 cm large, and named for it red dewlap (or beard) While most of the bird is brown, it has dark grayish-brown upper parts and rear underparts as well as a silver crown and neck feathers. The bird also has white feathers edging its neck and breast, red legs, and a rufous tail.

Habitat

The bearded guan (''Penelope barbata'') lives at an altitude of 1200–3000 m in a humid environment located in northwest Peru and southern Ecuador.

Threats

The greatest threat to the bearded guan (''Penelope barbata)'' is deforestation for agriculture and mining.

Diet

No information is known about the dietary habits of the bearded guan (''Penelope barbata)'', however guans in general eat various fruits and berries and well as leaves, flowers and insects.

Reproduction

Bearded guan (''Penelope barbata) ''are a monogamous, territorial species that mate at the beginning of the rain season (March–July). Most species of Guan reach sexual maturity at two years and can reproduce until they reach the age of twenty. A pair of guan will produce a clutch of three eggs which the female will incubate for 24–28 days.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet.
at FAO.org
Bearded Guan
at Neotropical Birds (Cornell University)
Bearded Guan videos and photos
on the Internet Bird Collection

oiseaux bearded guan Birds of the Ecuadorian Andes Birds of the Peruvian Andes bearded guan Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Galliformes-stub