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Helmeted Curassow Pauxi pauxi

IUCN Red List Criteria

Critically Endangered  
Endangered C2a(i) 
Vulnerable C2a(i) 

IUCN Red List history

Year Category
2012 Endangered
2008 Endangered
2004 Vulnerable
2000 Vulnerable
1996 Endangered
1994 Endangered
1988 Threatened

Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency High
Land mass type continent
 Average mass -

Distribution

  Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) 35,100 medium
Number of locations 11-100 -
Fragmentation -

Population & trend

  Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
No. of mature individuals 1000-2499 poor Estimated 2007
Population trend Decreasing poor -
Number of subpopulations 2-100 - - -
Largest subpopulation 51-250 - - -
Generation length (yrs) 13.5 - - -
Population justification: Comments from P. Salaman (in litt. undated) and C. Sharpe (in litt. undated) indicate that the population fell below 2,500 individuals during 2007. It is thus placed in the band 1,000-2,499 mature individuals, equating to 1,500-3,749 individuals in total, rounded here to 1,500-4,000 individuals. Population density in Venezuela has been estimated to be 2 individuals / km2 in Aragua, 8 individuals / km2 in Yaracuy, and 5 individuals / km2 in Lara state. In Colombia 4.8 individuals / km2 were found in Tamá National Park.
Trend justification: A moderate and on-going population decline is suspected on the basis of rates of habitat loss and levels of hunting.

Country/Territory distribution

Country/Territory Occurrence status Extinct Breeding Non-breeding Passage
Colombia Native No      
Venezuela Native No      

Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria

Country/Territory IBA Name IBA link
Colombia Cerro Pintado (part of Serranía de Perijá transboundary AZE) site factsheet
Colombia Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy site factsheet
Colombia Parque Nacional Natural Tamá site factsheet
Colombia Serranía de los Yariguíes site factsheet
Venezuela Dinira National Park and surrounding areas (Refugio de Fauna Silvestre y Reserva de Pesca Parque Nacional Dinira IBA) site factsheet
Venezuela Henri Pittier National Park (Parque Nacional Henri Pittier IBA) site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional El Ávila site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional El Tamá site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Guaramacal site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Guatopo site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Macarao site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Páramos Batallón y La Negra site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Perijá (part of Serrania de Perija transboundary AZE) site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional San Esteban site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Sierra La Culata site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Tapo-Caparo site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Terepaima site factsheet
Venezuela Parque Nacional Yacambú site factsheet
Venezuela Zona Protectora San Rafael de Guasare site factsheet

Habitats & altitude

Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane major resident
Altitude 500 - 2200 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact

Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & Aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops / Agro-industry farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & Aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops / Scale Unknown/Unrecorded Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & Aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops / Small-holder farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & Aquaculture Livestock farming & ranching / Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Energy production & mining Mining & quarrying Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources / Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals / Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Rapid Declines Medium Impact:
Stresses
Species mortality

Utilisation

Purpose Primary form used Life stage used Source Scale Level Timing
Food (human) Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent
Pets Whole Adults and juveniles Wild International Trivial Recent
Handicrafts, jewellery, decorations, curios Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent
Food (human) Whole Eggs Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent
Sport Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Pauxi pauxi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.

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.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.

Key facts
Current IUCN Red List category Endangered
Family Cracidae (Guans and curassows)
Species name author (Linnaeus, 1766)
Population size 1000-2499 mature individuals
Population trend Decreasing
Distribution size (breeding/resident) 35,100 km2
Country endemic? No
Links to further information
- Summary information on this species