Piping-guans/Piping Guans Piping-guans, also spelled Piping Guans, are related to Guans, Curassows and Chachalacas. They are named after their piping call that carries over a kilometre.
The BLUE-THROATED PIPING-GUAN, Pipile cumanensis, is native to Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas and Brazil.
It is a pheasant-sized mainly black bird with a white crest, bare white (or bluish white) face, white wing patch, black front flecked with white,
red legs and a blue throat wattle. The black feathers have a greenish iridescence.
Male and female are similar but the male has a larger, more prominent throat wattle. Their call carries through their dense jungle habitat.
The Venezuelan White-headed Piping-guan, above, is a subspecies of the Blue-throated, but doesn't show a prominent blue throat wattle.
Chicks
They are mainly vegetarian (fallen fruit, seeds, buds) but eat some invertebrates.
The WHITE-THROATED PIPING-GUAN, Pipile grayi​, is native to SE Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.
Previously classed as a subspecies of the similar-looking Blue-throated, the species is near threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
The BLACK-FRONTED PIPING-GUAN, Pipile jacutinga, is an endangered species due to
habitat loss by forest clearance and hunting. It survives at only a few sites on the borders of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
It is a black and white bird with a white crown/crest, white wing patch, black front flecked white white, pink legs and
a red throat wattle on a blue base. The feathered face and white eye-ring are distinguishing features from other Piping-guans.
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Wattled Guan