Crax globulosa

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	GALLIFORMES	CRACIDAE

Scientific Name:

Crax globulosa

Species Authority:

Spix, 1825

Common Name/s:

English	–	Wattled Curassow
Spanish	–	Pavón Carunculado

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered A2d+3d+4d;C2a(i) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2010

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Calvert, R., Symes, A., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

MacLeod, R., Estudillo López, J., Hennessey, A., Alonso Alvarez, J., Whittaker, A., Salaman, P., Develey, P., Bennun, L., Olmos, F., von Hildebrand, P., Whitney, B., Bennett, S., Silveira, L.

Justification:
This species has been uplisted to Endangered as it has a very small population which is estimated to have undergone a very rapid population decline. Hunting is suspected to be causing these ongoing declines, and effective control is urgently required. This species may be uplisted to Critically Endangered in the future should information suggest population declines are greater than currently estimated.

History:

2008	–	Vulnerable
2006	–	Vulnerable
2004	–	Vulnerable
2000	–	Vulnerable
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Crax globulosa was formerly widespread in upper Amazonia (west Brazil, south Colombia, east Ecuador, east Peru and north Bolivia). South Colombia remains remote and poorly known⁹, but it occurs at Isla Mocagua on the río Amazonas^19,22, and on the río Caquetá, near the Brazilian border^3,18. It was reportedly fairly common on the río Apaporis near Chiriquibete National Park⁵, but recent surveys have not found the species⁷. A few sites are known near the confluence of the ríos Javari and Amazonas in Colombia, Peru and Brazil^3,13. In Peru, it occurs on the middle río Napo, the río Yavari (untraced site) and part of the lower río Marañón^1,2. In Brazil, it additionally occurs at three disjunct sites in the río Juruá drainage¹¹, in Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve¹⁰, and in the juncture between río Solimoes and río Purus²¹, where the species was locally abundant within a small area of várzea forest, with an extrapolated density of 0.56 individuals/km². In Bolivia the only known surviving population is along a tributary of the río Beni, where it has been in decline since the 1940s but persists along the río Negro (c. 25 km from the nearest settlement, San Marcos)⁶. In 2003 surveys of várzea habitat along the río Negro produced an encounter rate of 0.36 individuals per hour, suggesting that there is a reasonably good population in this region¹⁵. Its range has contracted greatly, and it has probably been extirpated from Ecuador⁴ and Rondônia, Brazil⁸. It has been speculated that c. 100 individuals may persist in Bolivia, and <300 individuals in Peru¹⁴. Likewise it is speculated that the Colombian population could be <100, divided into two completely isolated subpopulations^17,20. The most important site for the species globally is Mamirauá (Brazil), which was estimated in 2005 to hold a population of well over 250 individuals^16,24. Throughout its range the species has undergone dramatic population declines - at Isla Mocagua alone, the population numbered c. 1000 individuals as recently as the 1950s, but now fewer than 50 remain²². New information showing a close tie to water edge habitat in the dry season suggests that its Extent of Occurrence, and therefore population, may have been seriously overestimated^26,27,28.
Countries:	Native: Bolivia; Brazil; Colombia; Peru
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Currently, there are an estimated 50-100 individuals in Colombia, 100-150 in Bolivia, less than 300 in Peru, and at least 250, maybe as many as 1,000 individuals in Brazil (R. MacLeod in litt. 2008). This is consistent with population estimates based on an AOO of 366 km²and estimated population densities (H. Aranibar-Rojas in litt. 2008; R. MacLeod in litt. 2008), hence the population is precautionarily estimated at 250-999 mature individuals, though the true population size may be greater.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

Currently, there are an estimated 50-100 individuals in Colombia, 100-150 in Bolivia, less than 300 in Peru, and at least 250, maybe as many as 1,000 individuals in Brazil (R. MacLeod in litt. 2008). This is consistent with population estimates based on an AOO of 366 km²and estimated population densities (H. Aranibar-Rojas in litt. 2008; R. MacLeod in litt. 2008), hence the population is precautionarily estimated at 250-999 mature individuals, though the true population size may be greater.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It inhabits lowland, riverine, humid forest. Small groups forage on inundated ground for small fish, insects, aquatic crustaceans, other small animals and fruit^1,3,6. In the dry season, birds congregate around rivers⁶ and studies from Bolivia indicate that in the dry season this species is closely linked to water; no individuals have ever been found more than 300 m from the river edge, despite detailed surveys extending to 3 km from the river^26,27,28. It has been suggested that it is similarly tied to water in Colombia and Brazil, and this would imply that its population is far smaller than previous estimates based on the total remaining area of varzea forest²⁶. In the wet season, birds possibly migrate from várzea to terra firme forest¹¹ to feed on canopy fruit and seeds³. It nests in June with chicks observed in July³.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It inhabits lowland, riverine, humid forest. Small groups forage on inundated ground for small fish, insects, aquatic crustaceans, other small animals and fruit^1,3,6. In the dry season, birds congregate around rivers⁶ and studies from Bolivia indicate that in the dry season this species is closely linked to water; no individuals have ever been found more than 300 m from the river edge, despite detailed surveys extending to 3 km from the river^26,27,28. It has been suggested that it is similarly tied to water in Colombia and Brazil, and this would imply that its population is far smaller than previous estimates based on the total remaining area of varzea forest²⁶. In the wet season, birds possibly migrate from várzea to terra firme forest¹¹ to feed on canopy fruit and seeds³. It nests in June with chicks observed in July³.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Amazonian rivers are the routes for colonisation, development, hunting and transport in the region. Hunting, whether commercial, subsistence¹⁰ or by loggers⁶ is the main threat, with habitat loss contributory. It is more vulnerable to hunting than other cracids as it is restricted to water edge habitats that are easily reached by the human population who use rivers for transport²⁶. On the río Beni, it was heavily hunted by fur traders during the 1960s, but the prohibition of fur-hunting by CITES in 1971 slowed declines⁶.

Major Threat(s):

Amazonian rivers are the routes for colonisation, development, hunting and transport in the region. Hunting, whether commercial, subsistence¹⁰ or by loggers⁶ is the main threat, with habitat loss contributory. It is more vulnerable to hunting than other cracids as it is restricted to water edge habitats that are easily reached by the human population who use rivers for transport²⁶. On the río Beni, it was heavily hunted by fur traders during the 1960s, but the prohibition of fur-hunting by CITES in 1971 slowed declines⁶.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway It occurs in Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, Amazonas, Brazil¹⁰ (where it nevertheless continues to be hunted¹⁶), and Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Loreto, Peru². It has also been recorded very close to the newly decreed Piagacu-Purus Sustainable Development Reserve, Brazil²¹. In Bolivia, a temporary hunting ban to secure the future of local hunting stocks has reportedly contributed to population recovery⁶. A public education project has focused on conservation presentations to the local Tacuna communities²³ and the local community in San Marcos now protect an area for ecotourism and research where hunting and resource extraction are banned²⁵. Conservation Actions Proposed Ensure active protection of known populations by working with local communities to reduce or eliminate hunting pressure. Interview local hunters to refine the known distribution and relate this to human and environmental variables^6,10. Survey and monitor the species's strongholds^6,10 and carry out detailed population surveys in Brazil and Peru to allow accurate estimations of the remaining national populations. Research its ecology¹². Designate protected sites and promote ecotourism^3,6,12. Extend education programmes to encourage further uptake of sustainable hunting practices^1,3,6. Conduct a regional analysis of population genetics²⁵.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
It occurs in Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, Amazonas, Brazil¹⁰ (where it nevertheless continues to be hunted¹⁶), and Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Loreto, Peru². It has also been recorded very close to the newly decreed Piagacu-Purus Sustainable Development Reserve, Brazil²¹. In Bolivia, a temporary hunting ban to secure the future of local hunting stocks has reportedly contributed to population recovery⁶. A public education project has focused on conservation presentations to the local Tacuna communities²³ and the local community in San Marcos now protect an area for ecotourism and research where hunting and resource extraction are banned²⁵.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Ensure active protection of known populations by working with local communities to reduce or eliminate hunting pressure. Interview local hunters to refine the known distribution and relate this to human and environmental variables^6,10. Survey and monitor the species's strongholds^6,10 and carry out detailed population surveys in Brazil and Peru to allow accurate estimations of the remaining national populations. Research its ecology¹². Designate protected sites and promote ecotourism^3,6,12. Extend education programmes to encourage further uptake of sustainable hunting practices^1,3,6. Conduct a regional analysis of population genetics²⁵.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2010. Crax globulosa. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 May 2012.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided