Dusky-legged guan

{{Short description|Species of bird}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Dusky-legged guan

| image = Dusky-legged guan.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=Penelope obscura |volume=2016 |page=e.T22678389A92771775 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678389A92771775.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}

| genus = Penelope

| species = obscura

| authority = Temminck, 1815

| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies

| subdivision =

  • P. o. obscura (Temminck, 1815)
  • P. o. bronzina (Hellmayr, 1914)

| range_map =Penelope obscura map.svg|

synonyms =

}}

The dusky-legged guan (Penelope obscura) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Uruguay, northeastern Argentina and southernmost areas of Paraguay and Brazil. In early 2021, the former subspecies P. o. bridgesi, found in southwestern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, was elevated to species rank as Yungas guan.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ |title=IOC World Bird List (v 11.1) |last1=Gill |first1= F. |last2=Donsker|first2=D.|last3=Rasmussen |first3=P. |date=January 2021 |access-date=January 14, 2021 }}

Habitat

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.del Hoyo, J. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Dusky-legged Guan (Penelope obscura), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.dulgua1.01 retrieved April 20, 2021

Description

The bird measures an average of 73 centimeters in length and weighs an average of 1.2 kilograms, being very similar in appearance to its smaller relative, the rusty-margined guan (P. supercilliaris).{{Citation needed|date=August 2018}}

Diet

It eats fruit, flowers and buds taken from the ground or plucked from tree branches, and acts as a seed disperser for various species of trees and palms, such as the endangered palm Euterpe edulis, or the palms of the genus Syagrus (e.g. queen palm and licuri).{{in lang|pt}} José Felipe Monteiro Pereira (2008) Aves e Pássaros Comuns do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro: Technical Books pp.48 {{ISBN|978-85-61368-00-5}} Coffee beans digested by the bird are sold for high prices.{{cite web | url=https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-17/jacu-coffee-brazilian-bird-droppings-secret-ingredient-in-brew-worth-its-weight-in-gold.html | title='Jacu' coffee: Brazilian bird droppings secret ingredient in brew worth its weight in gold | date=17 June 2023 }}

References

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