Justification This species is listed as Vulnerable because its small population and range are continuing to decrease owing to continuing habitat loss, with additional pressures from hunting.

Family/Sub-family Cracidae

Species name author Pelzeln, 1870

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

Identification 67-77 cm. Medium-sized, brownish cracid. Pale brown head, becoming darker brown on upperparts, wings and tail. Chestnut-rufous underparts, brighter on belly. White flecking from upper breast to mid-belly and on wing-coverts. Whitish supercilium contrasts with dark eyebrow, which extends around auricular and throat. Dusky facial skin. Red-orange throat and dewlap. Similar spp. Rusty-margined Guan P. superciliaris is smaller with unstreaked wing-coverts and browner belly. Voice Raven-like cry reported.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

1,000-2,499

decreasing

5,100 km²

Yes

Range & population Penelope ochrogaster occupies a poorly defined range in central Brazil. Most recent records have been in south Mato Grosso, but the species was recently discovered in the 90,017.9 ha Cantão State Park, western Tocantins, and at Santana do Araguaia, outside the national park⁴ and, on August 2002, in another two further areas outside the park, Fazenda Trindade and rio do Coco. The species seems to be locally common at these sites⁵. It presumably occurs south of the rio Cuiabá in extreme north Mato Grosso do Sul, but there are no confirmed records since 1909. There are no records from north-east and west-central Goiás since 1933, or from north-central Minas Gerais since 1913. It is moderately common in Poconé, Mato Grosso, along the Araguaia north of Ilha do Bananal and along the Paranã in Tocantins⁶, but the extraordinary paucity of historical and recent records suggests that elsewhere it is highly localised. Moreover, the concentration of recent records suggests that it may have been extirpated throughout much of its formerly large range.

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

Ecology: In the north Pantanal, it inhabits "cordilheira" (high-ground) forest, and particularly semi-deciduous gallery forest with a continuous canopy of 15-20 m. These forests are rich in woody lianas (mainly Sapindaceae and Bignoniaceae) along the edges, with a relatively open undergrowth except for occasional dense patches of terrestrial bromeliads¹. It presumably feeds mostly on fruit, but during the dry season (May-September) is possibly heavily dependent on the flowers of Tabebuia trees¹.

Threats Habitat loss for new cattle pastures and small-scale agriculture is the major threat in Poconé, where hunting is rare or non-existent¹. Tabebuia trees are cut to rebuild bridges along the Transpantaneira road each year after the floods¹. Elsewhere, it has presumably suffered from massive habitat loss and hunting for food. Large areas of central Brazil have been converted to Eucalyptus plantations, soybeans and pastures for exportable crops^2,3. Much of this destruction has occurred since 1950, and has been encouraged by government land reform initiatives².

Conservation measures underway It is protected under Brazilian law, and has been recorded around the periphery of Pantanal National Park and Araguaia National Park. It is found in Cantão State Park.

Conservation measures proposed Survey to assess the species's current range and ascertain its occurrence in Pantanal and Araguaia National Parks. Protect populations in Poconé from further habitat loss. Consider the development of sustainable forestry practices to supply materials for bridge repairs on the Transpantaneira road.

References Collar et al. (1992). 1. Olmos (1998). 2. Parker and Willis (1997). 3. Stotz et al. (1996). 4. Tocantins, Governo do Estado do. (2000). 5. Olmos (2003). 6. F. Olmos in litt. (2007).

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), David Capper (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Contributors Fabio Olmos

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Penelope ochrogaster. 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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