Oreophasis derbianus
SUBFAMILY
Penelopinae
TAXONOMY
Oreophasis derbianus G.R. Gray, 1844, Guatemala. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Lord Derby’s mountain pheasant; French: Orйophase
cornu; German: Zapfenguan; Spanish: Pavуn Cornudo.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
29.5–33.5 in (75–85 cm). This species is quite unique, and believed
by some authorities to be a link between guans and
curassows because it shares some characteristics of both. Most
prominent is the large red horn and the white scalloping on the
breast. Sexes are identical.
DISTRIBUTION
The horned guan is found in Guatemala and Chiapas (the
most southern province of Mexico).
HABITAT
Found in montane forest above 4,900 ft (1,500 m) in northern
Central America.
BEHAVIOR
When disturbed, horned guans give off a throaty (guttural)
shriek, which, in its suddenness and intensity, has the effect of
a loud explosion. Then they threaten the intruder from a high
perch by clattering their yellow beaks like castanets.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Generally fruits and green leaves from a vast assortment of
plant species. Forages primarily in tree branches.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
This species is likely one of the few cracids (and perhaps the
only guan) where polygyny is observed, where one male might
mate with several females, one after another, during the breeding
season (serial polygyny). Nests are often built in very high
trees, up to 66 ft (20 m) off the ground. The nest itself is typically
made of twigs and epiphyte roots. The clutch size is typically
two eggs, with one of the longest incubations documented
for any cracid, up to 36 days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Considered Endangered. The remaining populations are small,
fragmented, and only partly protected. habitat destruction and
hunting continue to threaten this species.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
May be hunted for food. These birds have been successfully
raised in captivity, which may be important to the future survival
of this species.
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