Justification The rate of deforestation in this species's range has been very rapid over the past decade, such that little habitat remains. It is projected that it could undergo an extremely rapid population reduction given increased access and hunting, and therefore qualifies as Critically Endangered.

Family/Sub-family Cracidae

Species name author Fraser, 1852

Taxonomic source(s) SACC (2005 + updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996)

Identification 83-93 cm. Large, mainly black, terrestrial cracid. Male black with white vent and tip to tail. Horn-coloured bill with fleshy blue cere and hanging wattle. Curled, black crest feathers. Pinkish legs. Female black with black-and-white crest feathers. Fine white barring on wings and tail (in barred morph also on breast and belly). Rufous lower belly and undertail. Bluish base to bill. Similar spp. Only curassow with blue bill-ornaments. Voice Low booming.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

1,000-2,499

decreasing

2,100 km²

Yes

Range & population Crax alberti historically occurred in northern Colombia, from the base of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta west to the Sinú valley and south in the Magdalena valley to northern Tolima. Two of the few large lowland forest areas remaining in its range have produced recent records: two sites on the west slope of the Serranía de San Lucas, Antioquia^1,2,3,7 and the Serranía de las Quinchas, Boyacá⁸. Surveys conducted in 2003 suggest that the latter area holds the population stronghold of this species and contributed to the establishment of El Paujíl Bird Reserve¹¹. Numbers within this reserve have increased and the density of individuals has increased from 1 in 80 acres to 1 in 65 acres, but remains far below the projected carrying capacity of 1 in 10 acres. In 1993, sightings were reported at La Terretera near Alto Sinú and in the Serranía de San Jacinto, Bolívar¹⁰. The population was estimated at 1,000-2,500 birds in 1994⁹, and local reports indicate that there have been more recent and rapid declines^1,2,3,7.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It inhabits humid forest up to 1,200 m. It breeds in the dry season, nesting in December-March, with parties of adults and chicks observed in March-August^1,2,7. It feeds on fruit, shoots, invertebrates, and perhaps even carrion^1,2,7,11. Roost sites, situated in foliage in trees, are near feeding areas and are used for several days¹⁶.

Threats Vast areas of forest have been cleared since the 17th century, and are used for livestock-farming, arable cultivation, cotton and illegal drug plantations, oil extraction and mining^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,13,14}. Cultivation (notably of coffee), logging and marijuana-plantation expansion and subsequent government spraying with non-specific herbicides affect the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta^4,5,6. Colonisation and deforestation for coca farming are the principal threats acting around the El Paujíl Bird Reserve¹¹. In 1996, there was a gold rush in the Serranía de San Lucas and most of the eastern slopes have since been settled, logged and converted to agriculture and coca production^2,3,7. Hunting and egg-collecting for food have contributed to past and present declines^2,7, and surveys since 1998 have failed to locate mature males in the field, suggesting that hunting remains a severe threat^12,14.

Conservation measures underway El Paujíl Bird Reserve was established in 2004, covering 848 ha in the Serranía de las Quinchas, and local authorities have introduced penalties for shooting or trapping the species¹¹. Paramillo National Park is vast and holds this species, but no protective measures have been implemented⁷. The large Bajo Cauca-Nechí Regional Reserve has recently been declared and probably holds the species^2,7. Los Colorados Sanctuary protects part of the Serranía de San Jacinto¹⁰. It potentially occurs in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Tayrona National Parks, and Cañon del Río Alicante and Los Besotes reserves¹⁵. Of all of the reserves listed above, only El Paujíl Bird Reserve is thought to receive adequate protection to safeguard this species¹⁵. Since 2006 ProAves has been engaged in a variety of awareness-raising initiatives in three villages within the Serranía de las Quinchas buffer zone, including training courses on bird monitoring and for park rangers¹⁷. Studies of population density and structure, as well as habitat use and behaviour of the species have been ongoing at the El Paujíl Bird Reserve since 2004¹⁷. Further surveys are planned in the south-western limits of the species's range in order to delimit additional IBAs for its conservation.

Conservation measures proposed Determine its population and distribution more accurately and confirm its persistence in the serranías de San Jacinto and de las Quinchas, and the upper Sinú drainage^1,2,7,8. Protect forests on the serranías de San Lucas and de las Quinchas^2,7,8. Implement effective conservation measures in existing protected areas^3,7. Initiate educational campaigns to limit hunting, and provide resources to replace the need for habitat conversion².

References Collar et al. (1992). 1. Cuervo and Salaman (1999). 2. A. Cuervo in litt. (1999). 3. L. Dávalos in litt. (1999). 4. Dinerstein et al. (1995). 5. L. G. Olarte in litt. (1993). 6. L. M. Renjifo in litt. (1993). 7. P. G. W. Salaman in litt. (1999, 2000). 8. Stiles et al. (1999). 9. Strahl et al. (1994). 10. R. S. R. Williams in litt. (1999). 11. Quevedo et al. (2005). 12. P. Salaman in litt. (2005). 13. J. M. Ochoa in litt. (2005). 14. J. D. González in litt. (2005). 15. Quevedo et al. (2006). 16. Hirschfeld (2008). 17. Urueñaet al. (undated).

Further web sources of information

Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) species/site profile. This species has been identified as an AZE trigger due to its IUCN Red List status and limited range.

Fully detailed species account from the Threatened birds of the Americas: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 1992). Please note, taxonomic treatment and IUCN Red List category may have changed since publication.

Recuento detallado de la especie tomado del libro Aves Amenazadas de las Americas, Libro Rojo de BirdLife International (BirdLife International 1992). Nota: la taxonomoía y la categoría de la Lista Roja de la UICN pudo haber cambiado desde esta publicación.

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Isabel Isherwood (BirdLife International), Aidan Keane (World Pheasant Association), Tom Stuart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Contributors A. Cuervo (Massey University), L. Dávalos, Juan David González, Jose Manuel Ochoa, L. G. Olarte, Luis Miguel Renjifo (Fundación Ornitológica del Quindío), Paul G. W. Salaman (Fundación ProAves), R.S.R Williams

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Crax alberti. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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