Diet of the Wattled Curassow (Crax globulosa) on the Juruá River, Brazilian Amazonia

• Published in: Ornithology Research Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 161 - 167
• Main Author: Leite, Gabriel Augusto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ecology; Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management; Life Sciences; Original Article; Zoology; Cracids; Plants; Season; Foraging; Floodplain
• ISSN: 2662-673X; 2662-673X
• DOI: 10.1007/s43388-020-00025-y

Cracids comprise a large proportion of avian biomass in Neotropical rainforests. Their diet can vary seasonally, and they can be important agents of seed dispersal. Wattled Curassow ( Crax globulosa ) inhabits várzea forests of western Amazonia and is considered to be globally threatened. We detail the diet of C. globulosa based on our own field observations, as well as interviews with local people and analysis of stomach contents, in the Juruá River region of Brazil. The species was observed using 51 different species of plants from 23 families. It consumed mostly fruits/seeds (69%), followed by flowers and leaves. Only 13% of direct observations were of birds foraging on the ground, with groups of up to eight individuals feeding together. Crax globulosa was observed consuming a greater variety of species of plants in the high-water season (29 species). The stomach contents of ten individuals showed that the species also feeds on invertebrates and ingests pebbles. The species has a more diverse diet in the low-water season, but still maintains a preference for fruits/seeds. As the species remains in várzea forest throughout the year, a larger supply of fruits during the high-water season is important for the species and may be one of the reasons it remains in this type of environment.