Dec 8

Bird of the day

Band-tailed guan

Penelope argyrotis

The band-tailed guan (Penelope argyrotis) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.

The band-tailed guan is 50 to 61 cm (1.6 to 2.0 ft) long. Males weigh 686 to 981 g (1.5 to 2.2 lb) and females 625 to 900 g (1.4 to 2.0 lb). The nominate subspecies' upperparts are blackish-brown to dark rufous with conspicuous white streaks. Its breast is olive brown and belly is pale to medium brown. Its face is pale grey to white and it has a prominent red dewlap. It gets its name from the wide chestnut band across the end of the tail. P. a. albicauda differs from the nominate by having buffy tips on the tail feathers. P. a. colombiana has more white on the crown and less white on the face than the nominate.

Aliases

Penelope argyrotis

Range

Range map of Band-tailed guan

Data retrieved on September 27, 2026 at 5:44 PM