Our Animals

Blue-billed Curassow Crax alberti

FUN FACT

Blue-billed Curassows are unique among the world’s 15 species of curassows in having a bright blue, rather than yellow, orange, or red cere or knob on their bill.

Blue-billed Curassows are large, turkey-like birds found in small, fragmented lowland habitats in Colombia. Males and females both have a fleshy blue wattle that hangs below the bill, but only the male grows a cere, or a knob, on the bill. They are primarily found on the forest floor, where they find worms, insects, fruits, and seeds, but they do roost in trees. Males have a loud, distinctive booming call that they use to attract a mate. Blue-billed Curassow young are precocial, meaning they hatch fully feathered and ready to leave the nest shortly after hatching. They stay close to home, though, for several months.

Blue-billed Curassows are Critically Endangered, with an estimated 150 to 700 individuals remaining in the wild. These birds rely on large, undisturbed tracts of humid forest in lowlands and foothills, and habitat fragmentation has led to a sharp decline for the species.

Blue-billed Curassow

Crax alberti
Neotropical

Habitat

Large undisturbed and unfragmented tracts of humid forest in lowlands and foothills

Diet

Insects, fruits, hard-coated seeds, and grit and stones to aid digestion

Status

Critically Endangered

Breeding

Male makes distinctive “booming” vocalizations in the breeding season to attract a mate. Monogamous pairs nest in January-April. The male primarily builds the nest, which is a coarse platform of large sticks lined with leaves built among dense lianas (vines) in the forest understory. A normal clutch is one or two white eggs, incubated by the female for a period approximately 30 to 32 days. Both parents care for the young after they leave the nest.

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The National Aviary is home to more than 500 birds and other animals representing 150 species; some of which live in behind-the-scenes habitats. To enhance our guests’ educational experience, and with regard to individual bird preferences, different species may spend time in various public-facing habitats.

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