| 2010 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Endangered Justification This species has a very small population comprising very small subpopulations, which are declining owing to habitat loss and hunting. It therefore qualifies as Endangered.
Family/Sub-family Cracidae Species name author (Linnaeus, 1766) Taxonomic source(s) SACC (2005 + updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996) Synonyms Crax pauxi Stotz et al. (1996), Crax pauxi BirdLife International (2004) Identification 91 cm. Large, black, terrestrial, cracid, with bizarre bluish fig-shaped casque on head. Dull red bill and legs. Male and normal-phase female mostly black with greenish and bluish gloss to mantle and breast, and dull black scaling. White belly, undertail-coverts and tail tip. Rare rufous-phase female rufous-brown, finely barred and vermiculated black. Blackish head and neck. Blackish tail broadly tipped buffy-white. White belly and underparts. Voice During breeding season, male sings low, ventriloquial droning boom, like groan of old tree, 6-10 four-part drones per minute. Alarm call a soft, repeated tzsuk. |  |
Population estimate | Population trend | Range estimate (breeding/resident) | Country endemic? | 1,000-2,499 | decreasing | 35,100 km2 | No |
Range & population Pauxi pauxi occurs in west Venezuela and north Colombia. Nominate pauxi was formerly common from the Cordillera de la Costa west to the Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela, and on the north-eastern slopes of the East Andes in Colombia (Norte de Santander, Boyacá and Arauca) and adjacent Venezuela (south-west Táchira). It is also known from three mountain ranges in Falcón, Venezuela, but may have recently disappeared from one (in Morrocoy National Park)1. It might once have occurred as far east as Monagas1. The population has declined considerably, and the species is now generally rare and occurs at low densities1,4. In Venezuela, there is a strong correlation between its current distribution and national parks1. Race gilliardi from the Sierra de Perijá on the Colombian-Venezuelan border is also believed to be declining.
| Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria. | Ecology: It is restricted to subtropical cloud-forest in steep, mountainous regions at 500 to 2,200 m (mostly 1,000-1,500 m), where it favours humid gorges with dense undergrowth. It tends to avoid forest edges. Nests are built in March, and young hatch around mid-May. Pairs or family parties forage, mainly terrestrially, for fallen fruit, seeds, tender leaves, grasses and buds1. It may make some seasonal altitudinal movements2. | Threats Its decline results from hunting and long-term destruction, fragmentation and modification of its habitat. The Sierra de Perijá is being progressively deforested in both countries for cattle-ranching at lower altitudes and for narcotics cultivation higher up6. Hunting continues (even in protected areas such as Henri Pittier National Park5) and is probably even increasing in the wake of infrastructure development. Birds are hunted for food and, at least formerly, for traditional jewellery; for instance in the buffer zone of Tama National Park (Colombia) each household had at least five skulls and eggs as hunting trophies8.
| | Conservation measures underway In northern Venezuela, almost all remaining forests are now legally protected1, but this has not averted threats. There are records from 18 Venezuelan national parks and the ineffectively protected El Cocuy National Park, Arauca, Colombia4. Captive breeding and reintroduction in Venezuela has been proposed. In Venezuela, it is legally protected and an education programme draws attention to the species and its habitat2. A new reseve, appropriately named Pauxi pauxi Bird Reseve has been established in the Cerro de la Paz to protect the species9.
| | Conservation measures proposed Determine its status in the Colombian East Andes. Enforce existing laws on hunting and habitat protection3. Develop educational programmes to combat hunting3.
| References Collar et al. (1992). 1. Silva (1999). 2. Strahl et al. (1997). 3. Strahl and Silva (1997). 4. Wege and Long (1995). 5. C. J. Sharpe. J. P. Rodríguez and F. Rojas-Suárez in litt. (1999). 6. C. J. Sharpe in litt. (1997). 7. C. J. Sharpe in litt. (2007). 8. V. Setina in litt. (2007). 9. P. Salaman in litt. (2007).
| Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International) | Contributors Oswaldo Cortes (Grupo Aves de Soata), Jean-Paul Rodríguez (Centro de Ecología - IVIC), Franklin Rojas-Suárez (Conservation International), Paul G. W Salaman (World Land Trust-US), Victor Setina, Chris J. Sharpe, Stuart D. Strahl (Chicago Zoological Society) | IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International) |
| Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Pauxi pauxi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 3/9/2010 | This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List. To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums |
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