Female Red-billed Curassow. Photo © Christine Steiner

Red-billed Curassow Crax blumenbachii

The Red-billed Curassow is a large bird belonging to the Cracidae family. This species of curassow has suffered heavily from hunting throughout the Neotropics and as they spend most of their time on the forest floor they are easy prey for other wildlife and are also particularly susceptible to habitat destruction. The total population in the wild is estimated to be as low as 250 individuals and consequently the Red-billed Curassow is critically threatened with extinction. WLT's partners in Brazil, REGUA, have recently introduced captive-bred birds into the Atlantic Rainforest Reserve.

The Red-billed Curassow has glossy black feathers, with a white vent and curly crest. Males are distinguished by a conspicuous reddish-orange knob wattle around the bill. Females have a cinnamon-rufous vent, and shorter black crest; they are barred with white and their bills lack the red wattles of the male.

Male Red-billed Curassow. Photo © Christine Steiner

The Red-billed Curassow is classified as Endangered by IUCN (See IUCN Red List of Threatened Species for more information on the classification of the Red-billed Curassow).

Help Protect the Red-billed Curassow and Other Wildlife in Brazil

The World Land Trust's project in Brazil: REGUA Reserve protects some of the critically threatened Atlantic rainforest, and the wildlife that depend on this habitat. Please help us save more forest by supporting the REGUA Atlantic Rainforest Project.

More Information about Red-billed Curassows and their Habitat

• Read more about Brazil and the reintroduction of Red-billed Curassows into the REGUA reserve.
• Find more information on the Red-billed Curassow on ARKive: Images of life on Earth