Order
Galliformes
Family
Cracidae
Genus
Penelopina
 
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Version 1.0

This is a historic version of this account.  Current version

SPECIES

Highland Guan Penelopina nigra

Knut Eisermann
Version: 1.0 — Published August 24, 2012

Diet and Foraging

Diet

Highland Guan is mainly frugivorous, but feeds also on arthropods and vertebrates. The guan plucks fruit in all forest strata, and picks up fallen fruit from the forest floor. Following plant families and genera have been observed as food source: Actinidiaceae (Saurauia), Araceae (Anthurium), Araliaceae (Dendropanax, Oreopanax), Arecaceae (Chamaedorea), Cecropiaceae (Cecropia), Celastraceae (Celastrus), Chloranthaceae (Hedyosmum), Cornaceae (Cornus), Lauracae (Cinamommum, Licaria, Nectandra, Ocotea, Persea), Melastomataceae (Conostegia, Miconia), Moraceae (Morus, Ficus, Trophis), Myricaceae (Myrica), Myrsinaceae (Ardisia, Rapanea), Myrtaceae (Eugenia), Rhamnaceae (Rhamnus), Rosaceae (Prunus, Rubus), Rubiaceae (Coffea, Glossostipula, Hoffmannia), Solanaceae (Lycianthes, Solanum), Staphyleaceae (Turpinia), Symplocaceae (Symplocos), Theaceae (Symplocarpon), Ulmaceae (Trema), Urticaceae (Urera), Verbenaceae (Citharexylum) (Pullen 1978, Gómez de Silva et al. 1999, González-García et al. 2001; K. Eisermann, personal observations; G. López, personal communication). Highland Guan also has been observed feeding on leafs (González-García et al. 2001), and the following animal food was found in stomachs of collected specimens: mice (Rodentia), a salamander (Caudata), and a fresh water crab (Brachyura) (Rowley 1984, Delacour and Amadon 1973). Highland Guan feed presumably also on insects similar to other cracids (Wagner 1953). Wagner (1953) also reported feeding on stones and earth, presumably to support the mechanical digestion and to supply the need of minerals.

Foraging Behavior

Recommended Citation

Eisermann, K. (2012). Highland Guan (Penelopina nigra), version 1.0. In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/nb.higgua1.01