Curassow(Crax salvini, C. unicornis, C. Alberti, C. Globulosa, C. Rubra) is the common name for some birds of the family Cracidae, found in tropical rainforests and the Amazon rainforest.
The following are 5 species of birds are better known as curassows .
3 of them (the white-bellied curassow , the horned curassow and the red-bellied curassow) inhabit the Amazon basin and the other 2 do not; the blue-billed curassow and the yellow-billed curassow.
3 species of curassows of the Amazon
1. White-bellied Curassow
The species C. salvini (or Mitu Salvini) also known as the white-bellied curassow, is about 90 cm long, has a shiny bluish-black plumage, with white sides, belly and tail tip.
It has been recorded in eastern Ecuador.
2. Cuckold cuckold
It is easy to distinguish the horned curassow(Crax unicornis or Pauxi Unicornis) whose adults have a very striking obliquely erect ellipsoidal frontal helmet.
Patrick Coin (Patrick Coin) / CC BY-SA
This species has its habitat restricted to the high jungle, generally in Bolivia and Peru.
Both species are hunted for their meat, which is edible and highly prized.
They are seriously threatened by habitat destruction and illegal hunting.
3. Amazonian curassow or curassow
The species with the scientific name Crax globulosa, better known by its common names of Moquirrojo or Amazonian curassow, inhabits the lowland rainforests of almost all the countries of the Amazon basin.
2 paujiles or pavones from Colombia and Central America
1. Blue Peak
Another species of blue-billed curassow (Crax Alberti) is also commonly called paujil, but this one is not Amazonian. It inhabits from the Sierra Nevada of Colombia to the lowlands of the Magdalena River.
Its populations have been depleted in a worrying way and it is currently catalogued as endangered.
2. Yellow Peak
In addition, the yellow-billed curassow has a wide geographic distribution. It can be found from Mexico to Colombia.
Dr. Rafael Cartay is a Venezuelan economist, historian, and writer best known for his extensive work in gastronomy, and has received the National Nutrition Award, Gourmand World Cookbook Award, Best Kitchen Dictionary, and The Great Gold Fork. He began his research on the Amazon in 2014 and lived in Iquitos during 2015, where he wrote The Peruvian Amazon Table (2016), the Dictionary of Food and Cuisine of the Amazon Basin (2020), and the online portal delAmazonas.com, of which he is co-founder and main writer. Books by Rafael Cartay can be found on Amazon.com
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