Identification

The Horned Screamer is a large bird that is easily recognized by its size, the white spiny appendage on its head, its carpal spurs, and its large gray legs. Its plumage is mainly black with white feathers on the head, as well as a white belly, white or tan splotches on the wings, and white feathers around the neck. The iris is yellow to orange and the bill is deep black.

The Horned Screamer is most similar to the two other species of screamer: the Northern Screamer (Chauna chavaria) (also called Black-necked Screamer) and the Southern Screamer (Chauna torquata) (also called the Crested Screamer). It is easily differentiated by its "horn," dull-colored face and tarsi, and its black-and-white plumage. The two species of Chauna screamers have bare red skin on their faces with reddish tarsi. The body plumage of Chauna screamers is mostly gray in color, not black, and both species have a contrasting black band around the neck.