Birds Active during the day

Andean Guan

Penelope montagnii

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

Meet the 'chicken of the cloud forest,' an agile climber with a vibrant red throat that thrives in the misty heights of the Andes Mountains.

0 Sightings

0 Habitats

Quick Identification

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Size

40–58 cm (16–23 in) in length; 600–1,100 g (1.3–2.4 lbs) in weight

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Colors

Dark brownish-bronze plumage with silvery-grey scaling on head and neck; bright red throat dewlap and reddish legs

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Key Features

Prominent bare red throat skin (dewlap)
Distinct silvery-white feather edges on head and neck
Long, rounded tail used for balance
Reddish-pink legs and feet

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 6-9 AM, 3-6 PM

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Season Year-round

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Diet Primarily frugivorous, feeding on a wide variety of highland berries and drupes; also consumes leaves, buds, and occasionally insects.

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Habitat Humid montane forests, cloud forests, and elfin forests from 1,500m up to the tree line.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Andean Guan Live?

The Andean Guan is a native of the South American continent, found exclusively along the high-altitude spine of the Andes Mountains. Its core range begins in the coastal cordilleras of Venezuela and extends through all three Andean ranges in Colombia, continuing southward through the humid highlands of Ecuador and Peru. It reaches its southern limit in the cloud forests of Bolivia, with occasional sightings reported in the extreme northwestern fringes of Argentina.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

5 Countries

1.55M km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

CO Colombia

Marginal

PE Peru

Marginal

EC Ecuador

Marginal

VE Venezuela

Marginal

BO Bolivia

Marginal

Elevation range

0 m1,000 m2,000 m4,000 m

1,500 m – 3,900 m

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

The Andean Guan is a primarily arboreal bird, often seen navigating the misty canopy of cloud forests with surprising agility. While they can appear somewhat clumsy on the ground, they are expert climbers, using their strong legs and long tails for balance as they hop between moss-covered branches. They are typically found in pairs or small family groups, maintaining social bonds through soft contact calls and mutual grooming.

In areas where they are not hunted, these birds can become remarkably habituated to human presence, sometimes visiting gardens or lodge clearings. However, they remain vigilant, and when startled, they often emit a loud, nasal honking or cackling sound before gliding away into deeper cover. During the breeding season, males may perform wing-drumming displays, which is a characteristic mechanical sound of the high-altitude Andean forests.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

To capture the Andean Guan, your best bet is to position cameras along forest edges or near known fruiting trees, such as wild avocados or berry-producing shrubs. While these birds are mostly arboreal, they frequently descend to the forest floor or low-hanging branches to drink from puddles or forage for fallen fruit. Mounting your camera about 3 to 5 feet off the ground, angled slightly upward toward a clear perch, often yields the most dramatic "portrait" shots.

Because they live in humid cloud forests, moisture management is critical for your gear. Use a camera with a high waterproof rating and consider placing a small silica gel pack inside the housing to prevent lens fogging during the misty mornings when the birds are most active. If you are setting up in a backyard or garden near the forest, placing the camera near a low-profile platform feeder filled with soft fruits like papaya or bananas can draw them into the perfect frame.

For camera settings, focus on a fast trigger speed. Despite their somewhat bulky size, these birds can be quite jumpy. A trigger speed of 0.3 seconds or faster ensures you don't just get a photo of a disappearing tail. Since the understory of their habitat is often dimly lit, ensure your camera has a high-quality infrared flash that won't blow out the details of their silvery neck feathers, or set the ISO to auto to compensate for the shifting mountain light.

If your camera supports high-definition video, the Andean Guan is an excellent subject for short clips. They have fascinating social behaviors, including mutual preening and unique "clucking" vocalizations. Set your video length to 15-20 seconds to capture these interactions. Look for "game trails" in the moss or flattened areas of leaf litter, which often indicate where these birds regularly travel on the ground.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Andean Guan.

Wattled Guan

Larger with a more prominent, hanging yellow-and-red wattle and lacks the distinct silvery scaling on the neck.

Sickle-winged Guan

Slightly smaller with a different wing shape and typically found at lower elevations than the Andean Guan.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Andean Guan are strictly diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. They are most frequently seen in the early morning shortly after sunrise and again in the late afternoon before they retreat to high canopy roosts for the night.

If you live in a high-altitude Andean region, you can attract them by planting native fruit-bearing trees. They are also known to visit platform feeders offered with soft fruits like chopped papaya, bananas, or berries.

Their diet consists mostly of fruits and berries found in the forest canopy. They also eat young leaves and buds, and will occasionally descend to the ground to eat fallen seeds or small invertebrates.

They are generally forest birds, but they are increasingly found in suburban gardens and small farms that border montane forests or cloud forests, especially where they are not disturbed by hunting.

Look for the distinct silvery-grey 'scaling' on the head and neck, which is more pronounced than in most other guans. Their relatively small size and high-altitude habitat are also key indicators compared to lowland species like the Spix's Guan.

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