Fun Curassow Facts For Kids

Living in tropical rainforest habitats and evergreen forests, belonging to the Cracidae family, the curassow is a species of bird. Their population has dangerously decreased and is now sadly almost on the verge of extinction. Found in Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador, there are a lot of subspecies of this bird, such as great curassows, wattled curassows, and bare-faced curassows. Although their population is decreasing rapidly, among all the subspecies of curassow the great curassow is the most common one.

These birds have very distinctive physical features, from their glossy black feather coats to their vibrant yellow bill. Another very distinctive physical feature of these birds is their forward curling feathers. Another interesting thing about these birds is that even though their life span is comparatively long, their reproduction rate is substantially low. These are terrestrial birds that mostly prefer tropical forests. They live in groups and adult males in the group take up the responsibility of looking after all other members of the group.

Would you like to learn about interesting birds across the world? Then don't forget to read about the eagle and hawk too!

What type of animal is a curassow?

The great curassow (Crax rubra) is a bird found in parts of South and Central America, Ecuador, and Mexico.

What class of animal does a curassow belong to?

The curassow belongs to the Aves class of the animal kingdom.

How many curassows are there in the world?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN Red List, there are 40,000-50,000 adult great curassows alive in the world. The population of the species is decreasing rapidly though. Deforestation of their natural habitat is said to be the main reason for their decreasing population and their Vulnerable state of conservation.

Where does a curassow live?

These birds can be found in Central America, western Colombia, eastern Mexico, and Ecuador. They can also be found in South America, Panama, the Pacific coast, and Peru.

What is a curassow's habitat?

The natural habitat of curassows consists of evergreen forests, heavy rainforests, tropical and lower subtropical zones, lowlands, foothills, and mangroves. However, since the population of these birds is decreasing and the conservation status of many species of curassows is Vulnerable, national parks and nature reserves have become a new habitat where these birds can stay protected from considerable threats.

Who do curassows live with?

Curassows live in small groups and pairs. The adult male of the family takes responsibility for these small groups and whistles to alert members of the group if they sense any danger.

How long does a curassow live?

Different species of curassows have an average life expectancy of 24 years.

How do they reproduce?

Although the lifespan of the curassow, including the great curassow species, is pretty long, the reproduction rate of these birds is comparatively low. A single clutch laid by females comprises only two eggs.

Their breeding season lasts until spring. A pair of male and female birds create a nest during this time. They create the nest close to the ground, into which the female then lays two eggs. The female incubates the eggs for a month. After that, the young birds are born.

What is their conservation status?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the conservation status of the great curassow and the bare-faced curassow bird is Vulnerable. This is no wonder given their sadly decreasing population. However, the wattled curassow bird is an Endangered species, which simply means that this species is on the verge of becoming extinct.

What do curassows look like?

Although there are many sub-species of the curassow, the great curassow is the largest among them all. These birds are known for the forward curling feathers on their heads and long tails. Along with these forward curling feathers, they have very distinctive body colors. Male birds are mostly black with a hue of blue and white on their belly. Females vary in color from brown to black, with stripes on the heads and long tails, and a vibrant yellow bill.

How cute are they?

Although we cannot claim this species to be a colorful one, they do indeed look adorable. On the other hand, their relatively huge rounded wings do not make them the most elegant looking birds while they fly! Have you ever been lucky enough to see one of these adorable and magnificent birds?

How do they communicate?

Curassows use their body posture and vocal sounds to communicate. During the breeding season the male carries out sequenced movements as part of a courtship ritual.

How big is a curassow?

Great curassows can grow up to 30-37 in (83.8-93.9 cm) long. Compared to the male helmeted curassow, great curassows grow almost 12 in (33 cm) longer.

How fast can a curassow move?

The exact speed of this bird is not known.

How much does a curassow weigh?

A curassow can weigh 6.8-11 lb (3.1-5 kg). Female birds tend to be slightly lighter, due to their small size.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Male curassows are called 'cocks', and females are called 'hens'.

What would you call a baby curassow?

Baby curassows are called a chick.

What do they eat?

These omnivores feed upon fallen fruits, seeds, and berries. They also forage the ground of their natural habitat, in search of small animals and insects like a grasshopper or a cicada killer wasp.

Are they poisonous?

These birds are not poisonous. In fact, they are a very valuable bird species to the ecosystem that they live in.

Would they make a good pet?

Keeping curassows as pets may not be the best idea, given that these birds are already on the verge of getting extinct. In fact, keeping Endangered and Vulnerable species of birds as pets can be illegal so these birds cannot be kept as pets.

Did you know...

These birds are among the most valuable forest animals. Both males and females help to disperse seeds in the forest and maintain the health of the forest by doing so.

Are they endangered?

Yes, some species of curassow birds are officially Endangered. Humans actually pose the majority of threats to these helpful birds in nature. Deforestation is a major threat to their population. Apart from that, hunting and predators also posses a threat to this species.

How are they different from other birds of the Cracidae family?

As opposed to many other birds of the Cracidae family, curassows not only prefer but are also dependent on tropical forests. On the other hand, smaller birds of the Cracidae family mostly avoid dense forests. Their habitat also comprises secondary lands that formerly used to be cultivated land. Apart from this, there are very obvious differences in their appearances.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our keel-billed toucan facts and birds of paradise facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable curassow coloring pages.

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