• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but this species is described as uncommon to locally common (Stotz et al. 1996, del Hoyo and Kirwan 2020). Other Mitu species occur at a density of 1.1-8.9 individuals/km² (Santini et al. 2018). Assuming that this species occurs at a similar density, and further assuming that only 25% of forests within the range are occupied to account for its strict habitat requirements (i.e. 250,000 km²; Global Forest Watch 2022), the global population may number 275,000-2,225,000 individuals. This roughly equates to 180,000-1,480,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification
The species is suspected to be in decline as a consequence of habitat loss and hunting pressure. Throughout the range, about 4% of tree cover is lost over three generations (25.6 years; Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). As the species is strictly dependent on riverine and flooded forest (del Hoyo and Kirwan 2020), population declines caused by habitat loss and degradation may be steeper than the rate of tree cover loss suggests. The impact of hunting has not been quantified. Tentatively, population declines are here placed in the band 10-19% over three generations.

Mitu tomentosum occurs in north-central South America from Venezuela to eastern Colombia, northern Brazil and southern Guyana.

This is a forest species, inhabiting humid terra firme forest in Colombia as well as gallery forest in the southern llanos of Colombia and Venezuela, and várzea (Hilty 2003). It is restricted to lowlands up to 500 m in Colombia and 600 m in Venezuela (del Hoyo et al. 1994). Its diet consists of fruits and seeds, and occasionally small vertebrates or insects (Restall et al. 2006). Breeding begins with the arrival of the rains, with the nest placed low in trees (del Hoyo et al. 1994).

The primary threat to this species is accelerating deforestation in the Amazon Basin as land is cleared for cattle ranching and soy production, facilitated by expansion of the road network (Soares-Filho et al. 2006, Bird et al. 2011). It is made additionally vulnerable as in parts of the range it is subject to hunting pressure (Restall et al. 2006, A. Lees in litt. 2011).

 

Conservation Actions Underway
No targeted actions are known.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Accurately quantify the population size. Assess the impact of hunting on the population size. Monitor the population trend.
Expand the protected area network to effectively protect key sites. Effectively manage protected areas, utilising emerging opportunities to finance protected area management with the joint aims of reducing carbon emissions and maximizing biodiversity conservation. Incentivise conservation on private lands through expanding market pressures for sound land management and preventing forest clearance on lands unsuitable for agriculture (Soares-Filho et al. 2006).

75-85 cm. Large cracid with small bill. All black plumage except for rich chestnut belly and tail tips. Small red bill lacking any swelling, reddish legs and toes and reddish-brown iris. Lacks crest. Similar spp. Black Curassow Crax alector and Yellow-knobbed Curassow C. daubentoni both have white rather than chestnut bellies, and yellow rather than red around bill.  Voice Booming call.

Text account compilers
Hermes, C.

Contributors
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J., Khwaja, N., Lees, A. & Symes, A.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Crestless Curassow Mitu tomentosum. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/crestless-curassow-mitu-tomentosum on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.