Introduction
The Bare-faced Curassow, Crax fasciolata, is a large, mainly terrestrial member of the curassow family, Cracidae. It occurs across parts of central South America, including Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina. The species is generally associated with lowland forests, gallery forests and woodland habitats near water. It is an important large frugivore and may contribute to the dispersal of sizeable seeds. (scielo.br)
Physical Description
Bare-faced Curassows are robust birds with strong legs and a short, rounded crest. They show pronounced sexual dimorphism.
Adult males are mostly glossy black, with a white belly and white markings on the undertail and tail tip. The bill is dark, with a contrasting yellow cere, and the face has areas of bare, pale skin. Adult females are more cryptic, with barred black-and-white upperparts, wings and tail, and warm cinnamon or rufous underparts. The amount and tone of barring can vary geographically.
Reliable published measurements are limited, but adults are large-bodied birds. One study gives approximate body masses of 2.7–2.8 kg for males and 2.2–2.7 kg for females. (scielo.br)
Young birds remain with their parents after hatching and develop their adult plumage gradually. Their early plumage is less strongly differentiated than that of mature males and females.
Range and Habitat
The Bare-faced Curassow has a broad but uneven distribution in South America. The species is recorded in Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina. The nominate subspecies, C. f. fasciolata, occurs mainly in central and southwestern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina, while other recognised taxonomic treatments include populations in eastern Bolivia and northeastern Brazil. Taxonomic authorities differ over whether the northeastern Brazilian form, traditionally known as C. f. pinima, should be treated as a subspecies or a separate species. (scielo.br)
The species uses humid semi-deciduous forest, evergreen lowland forest, gallery forest, woodland edges and forest–savanna mosaics. It is often associated with rivers, streams and other areas where fruiting trees are available. Most records come from low elevations, although local information on altitude is incomplete. In parts of its former range, the species has disappeared or become rare because of forest clearance, fragmentation and hunting. (epe.lac-bac.gc.ca)
Behaviour and Diet
Bare-faced Curassows are mainly terrestrial when feeding and are most active around dawn and dusk. They may occur alone, in pairs or in small family groups. Territorial pairs are commonly reported, although neighbouring family groups can sometimes gather in larger groups.
The diet is primarily fruit-based and includes fleshy fruits, berries, drupes, arils and seeds. The birds may also take flowers and small invertebrates, especially when additional protein is available. Their role as large frugivores gives them ecological importance because they can transport and disperse seeds through forest habitats. (scielo.br)
The species is generally considered sedentary rather than migratory. Its low, resonant calls can carry through dense forest, and vocal activity may be easier to detect than the birds themselves.
Breeding information from the wild remains limited. In captivity, both sexes have been reported to participate in nest building, while the female usually incubates the eggs for approximately 30 days. Both parents may help rear the young, which remain with them for several months. Research in Brazil’s northern Pantanal recorded offspring during several months and suggested that breeding may occur throughout the year in that region, rather than being restricted to a single sharply defined rainy-season period. (scielo.br)
Identification Tips
- Look for a large, heavy-bodied forest bird that spends considerable time on the ground.
- Adult males are predominantly black, with a white belly, white tail-tip markings and a conspicuous yellow cere.
- Adult females are barred black and white above, with cinnamon or rufous underparts. Their cryptic plumage can make them difficult to detect in leaf litter and dense undergrowth.
- The pale bare skin of the face, dark crest and large curassow shape are useful supporting features.
- Listen for deep, booming calls, particularly around dawn and dusk.
- Do not rely on plumage alone when identifying females, because female colour and barring vary among geographic forms.
Conservation Status
The Bare-faced Curassow is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The global population has not been reliably quantified, but the overall trend is considered to be declining. Major threats include habitat loss and fragmentation, selective logging, agricultural expansion, livestock production and hunting for food. In the Humid Chaco of northern Argentina, occupancy was positively associated with forest cover, distance from villages and the availability of fruiting trees, while hunting and logging were important negative influences. (epe.lac-bac.gc.ca)
Conservation measures include protecting remaining forest and gallery-forest corridors, improving enforcement against hunting, maintaining fruiting trees and reducing habitat fragmentation. Protected areas are particularly important in regions where intact populations remain, including parts of Brazil’s Pantanal and other forest–savanna landscapes. Reintroduction and population-recovery projects may also assist local restoration where habitat and protection are adequate, but they should be supported by monitoring and community involvement. (epe.lac-bac.gc.ca)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Bare-faced Curassow live?
It occurs in Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina. It uses lowland forest, semi-deciduous forest, gallery forest and woodland habitats near rivers and other watercourses.
What does the Bare-faced Curassow eat?
Its diet consists mainly of fleshy fruits and seeds. It may also eat flowers and small invertebrates. As a large frugivore, it can help disperse seeds through forest ecosystems.
How can you tell a male and female Bare-faced Curassow apart?
Adult males are mostly black with a white belly and white tail-tip markings. Females are barred black and white above, with cinnamon or rufous underparts. This difference in plumage is one of the species’ clearest identification features.
Is the Bare-faced Curassow endangered?
The species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Habitat loss, forest fragmentation and hunting are the principal threats, and the species has disappeared from parts of its former range.
Is the Bare-faced Curassow migratory?
It is generally regarded as sedentary. Individuals usually remain within suitable forest habitats, although their local movements may follow food availability, watercourses and seasonal habitat conditions.
Does the Bare-faced Curassow breed all year?
Breeding records are limited, but camera-trap research in Brazil’s northern Pantanal recorded young birds during several months and suggested that breeding may occur throughout the year in that region. Breeding timing may vary geographically.
References
- BirdLife International. 2019. Crax fasciolata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22678525. Accessed 8 September 2026.
- Gill, F., Donsker, D. and Rasmussen, P., eds. 2026. IOC World Bird List, version 15.2. International Ornithologists’ Union. Available at: https://www.worldbirdnames.org/. Accessed 8 September 2026.
- Senič, M., Schuchmann, K.-L. and Marques, M. I. 2022. Reproduction phenology of a high conservation priority cracid, the Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata; Aves, Galliformes, Cracidae). Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 62: e202262031. https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2022.62.031
- Winkler, D. W., Billerman, S. M. and Lovette, I. J. 2020. Guans, Chachalacas, and Curassows (Cracidae), version 1.0. In: Billerman, S. M., Keeney, B. K., Rodewald, P. G. and Schulenberg, T. S., eds. Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.cracid2.01
- Zalazar, S., Benitez, A. L. and Di Giacomo, A. S. 2018. Determining the factors that influence the occurrence of Bare-faced Curassows (Crax fasciolata) in Humid Chaco, northern Argentina. Avian Conservation and Ecology, 13(2): 1. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01241-130201
- Alteff, E. F., Silveira, L. F., Develey, P. F., Ubaid, F. K., Morais, A. B. and others. 2019. The rarest of the rare: rediscovery and status of the critically endangered Belem Curassow, Crax fasciolata pinima (Pelzeln, 1870). Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 59: e20195924. Available at: https://revistas.usp.br/paz/article/view/155367. Accessed 8 September 2026.
- Clay, R. P. and Oren, D. C. 2006. Bare-faced Curassow, Crax fasciolata. In: Brooks, D. M., ed. Conserving Cracids: The Most Threatened Family of Birds in the Americas. Miscellaneous Publications of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, 6. Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston.
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