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Birds
Black guan
Black guan · Chamaepetes unicolor
Black guans move secretly through the rainforest, often revealing themselves only by their bright red legs and deep black body.
Fact file
- Size
- Around 70 cm tall, weight about 1.1 to 1.3 kilograms, males and females similar in size
- Males and females
- Males and females hardly distinguishable, both black with red legs and bill
- Sounds
- Gentle, cooing calls, often quiet rustling in the branches can be heard
- Diet
- Feeds mainly on fruit, sometimes seeds, leaves and insects
- Offspring
- Lays 2 to 3 eggs; breeding season usually begins at the end of the dry season
How to identify Black guan
The black guan is an impressive, almost completely black bird with glossy feathers. Depending on the light, the plumage can appear slightly blue-black. The strikingly bright red bill and the strong red legs add splashes of colour that make it stand out clearly in the dense canopy. The iris is dark brown. Head and neck are, like the body, uniformly black, with no pattern or crest.
Black guans grow to around 70 centimetres and have a long, broad tail with rounded edges. Their silhouette is reminiscent of a large chicken with an upright posture. In flight they are noticeable for their rounded wings and slow, whirring flight style. Their black colouring distinguishes them from similarly sized tanagers and turkey-like birds, which usually show paler areas on the body or some kind of head ornament.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- one place where you can see Black guan
Where Black guan live
Discover Black guan on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
