Guans, Curassows, and Chachalacas
Cauca Guan
Penelope perspicax
VUVulnerable Endemic to Colombia
- Family
- Guans, Curassows, and Chachalacas (Cracidae)
- Order
- Galliformes
Overview
The Cauca guan (Penelope perspicax) is a bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family, Cracidae. It is a large guan, and like most guans leads a mostly arboreal life in humid forests, where it forages for fruit and leaves. The Cauca guan is endemic to Colombia's Cauca River valley.
In Spanish the bird is called pava caucana.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Central Cauca Valley (Colombia), in both the western and central Andes; formerly (?) also on the west slope of the western Andes.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Cauca guan
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
