Physical Description
The blue-billed curassow is black with white feathers on its rear underbelly and at the tip of its tail. It has a light-gray bill with fleshy blue cere (the waxy structures at the base of its bill). The currasow has a hanging wattle, curled black crest feathers and pinkish legs.
Females are black with black-and-white crest feathers and fine white barring on their wings and tail. They have a ruddy lower belly and a bluish base to their bill. Only the female grows a knob on the bill.
Size
The blue-billed curassow is a large bird, standing 32-36 inches (83-93 centimeters) tall. Males are usually larger than females.
Native Habitat
Blue-billed curassows historically occurred throughout northern Colombia. Today, the entire wild population occurs in just a few small remnant areas of tropical lowland forest.
Food/Eating Habits
They eats fruits, worms, insects, snails, crayfish and sometimes carrion. They are primarily terrestrial birds, feeding on the forest floor.
Conservation Efforts
The main threats facing the blue-billed curassow are habitat loss and fragmentation. One major source of habitat loss is the widespread spraying of nonspecific herbicides by the Colombian government to combat illegal drug crops grown in the area. Other threats include hunting and wild collection.
