Justification This species is undergoing rapid declines in range and population as a result of hunting and, to a lesser extent, habitat loss. The total population is suspected to be small and consist of very small subpopulations. It consequently qualifies as Vulnerable, although new information suggests its population has been seriously overestimated and it may need to be uplisted to Endangered.

Family/Sub-family Cracidae

Species name author Spix, 1825

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

Identification 82-89 cm. Large, mainly black, terrestrial cracid. Male black, with curled crest feathers and white vent. Black bill with reddish (sometimes yellowish) cere, bill knob and hanging wattle. Black legs. Female black with rufous vent. Black bill and red cere. Similar spp. Only curassow with red bill wattles and white undertail in range. Voice High, descending whistle wheeeeeeeee. Hints Known to concentrate around water-bodies during dry season.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

2,500-9,999

decreasing

28,200 km²

No

Range & population Crax globulosa was formerly widespread in upper Amazonia (west Brazil, south Colombia, east Ecuador, east Peru and north Bolivia). South Colombia remains remote and poorly known⁹, but it occurs at Isla Mocagua on the río Amazonas^19,22, and on the río Caquetá, near the Brazilian border^3,18. It was reportedly fairly common on the río Apaporis near Chiriquibete National Park⁵, but recent surveys have not found the species⁷. A few sites are known near the confluence of the ríos Javari and Amazonas in Colombia, Peru and Brazil^3,13. In Peru, it occurs on the middle río Napo, the río Yavari (untraced site) and part of the lower río Marañón^1,2. In Brazil, it additionally occurs at three disjunct sites in the río Juruá drainage¹¹, in Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve¹⁰, and in the juncture between río Solimoes and río Purus²¹, where the species was locally abundant within a small area of várzea forest, with an extrapolated density of 0.56 individuals/km². In Bolivia the only known surviving population is along a tributary of the río Beni, where it has been in decline since the 1940s but persists along the río Negro (c. 25 km from the nearest settlement, San Marcos)⁶. In 2003 surveys of várzea habitat along the río Negro produced an encounter rate of 0.36 individuals per hour, suggesting that there is a reasonably good population in this region¹⁵. Its range has contracted greatly, and it has probably been extirpated from Ecuador⁴ and Rondônia, Brazil⁸. It has been speculated that c. 100 individuals may persist in Bolivia, and <300 individuals in Peru¹⁴. Likewise it is speculated that the Colombian population could be <100, divided in two completely isolated subpopulations^17,20. The most important site for the species globally is Mamirauá (Brazil), which was estimated in 2005 to hold a population of well over 250 individuals^16,24. Throughout its range, the species has undergone dramatic population declines - at Isla Mocagua alone, the population numbered c. 1000 individuals as recently as the 1950s, but now fewer than 50 remain²². New information showing a close tie to water edge habitat in the dry season suggests that its Extent of Occurrence, and therefore population, may have been seriously overestimated^26,27,28.

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

Ecology: It inhabits lowland, riverine, humid forest. Small groups forage on inundated ground for small fish, insects, aquatic crustaceans, other small animals and fruit^1,3,6. In the dry season, birds congregate around rivers⁶ and studies from Bolivia indicate that in the dry season the Wattled Curassow is closely linked to water, with no individual ever being found more than 300 m from the river edge despite detailed surveys extending to 3 km from the river^26,27,28. It has been suggested that it is similarly tied to water in Colombia and Brazil, and this would imply that its population is far smaller than previous estimates based on the total remaining area of varzea forest²⁶. In the wet season, birds possibly migrate from várzea to terra firme forest¹¹ to feed on canopy fruit and seeds³. It nests in June with chicks observed in July³.

Threats Amazonian rivers are the routes for colonisation, development, hunting and transport in the region. Hunting, whether commercial, subsistence¹⁰ or by loggers⁶ is the main threat, with habitat loss contributory. On the río Beni, it was heavily hunted by fur traders during the 1960s, but the prohibition of fur-hunting by CITES in 1971 slowed declines⁶.

Conservation measures underway It occurs in Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, Amazonas, Brazil¹⁰ (where it nevertheless continues to be hunted¹⁶), and Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Loreto, Peru². It has also been recorded very close to the newly decreed Piagacu-Purus Sustainable Development Reserve, Brazil²¹. In Bolivia, a temporary hunting ban to secure the future of local hunting stocks has reportedly contributed to population recovery⁶, a public education project has focused on conservation presentations to the local Tacuna communities²³ and the local community in San Marcos now protect an area for ecotourism and research where hunting and resource extraction are banned²⁵.

Conservation measures proposed Ensure active protection of known populations by working with local communities to reduce or eliminate hunting pressure. Interview local hunters to refine the known distribution and relate this to human and environmental variables^6,10. Survey and monitor the species's strongholds^6,10 and carry out detailed population surveys in Brazil and Peru to allow accurate estimations of the remaining national populations. Research its ecology¹². Designate protected sites and promote ecotourism^3,6,12. Extend education programmes to encourage further uptake of sustainable hunting practices^1,3,6. Conduct a regional analysis of population genetics²⁵.

References Collar et al. (1992). 1. J. Alvarez Alonso in litt. (1999). 2. Begazo and Valqui (1998). 3. Bennett (2000). 4. Cracid Newsletter (1991) 11:5. 5. J. Estudillo López verbally (1994). 6. Hennessey (1999). 7. P. von Hildebrand verbally (1999). 8. F. Olmos in litt. (1999). 9. P. G. W. Salaman in litt. (1999). 10. Santos (1997-1998). 11. F. L. Silveira in litt. (2000). 12. L. F. Silveira in litt. (1999). 13. A. Whittaker in litt. (1999). 14. B. Hennessey in litt. (2005). 15. Aranibar-Rojas et al. (2005). 16. B. Whitney in litt. (2005). 17. G. Alarcón-Nieto in litt. (2005). 18. Alarcón-Nieto and Palacios (2005). 19. Bennett and Franco-Maya (2002). 20. B. Hennessey in litt. (2005). 21. T. Haugaasen and C. A. Peres in litt. (2005). 22. Bennett (2000). 23. Hennessey (2004). 24. P. Develey in litt. (2007). 25. H. Aranibar-Rojas in litt. (2007). 26. R. MacLeod in litt. (2007). 27. Chand et al. in review. 28. Hill et al. in review.

Further web sources of information

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), Aidan Keane (World Pheasant Association), Andy Symes (BirdLife International), Helen Temple (BirdLife International)

Contributors J. Alonso Alvarez, Sara Bennett (IUCN-SSC Cracid Specialist Group), Leon Bennun (BirdLife International), Pedro Develey (SAVE Brasil), Jesus Estudillo López, A. Bennett Hennessey (Asociación Armonía), Fabio Olmos, Paul G. W. Salaman (Fundación ProAves), Luís Fábio Silveira (University of São Paulo), P. von Hildebrand, Bret Whitney (Louisiana State University), A Whittaker

IUCN Red List evaluators Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), David Capper (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International), Helen Temple (BirdLife International), David Wege (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Crax globulosa. 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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