Penelopina nigra
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The highland guan (Penelopina nigra) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae. It is found in the highlands of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico, and Nicaragua. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. Its population has declined much in recent times: Listed as a species of Least Concern in 1994, it was uplisted to Near Threatened in 2000 and, as it was determined to be less common than previously believed, to Vulnerable in the 2007 IUCN Red List.
The highland guan grows to a length of 590 to 650 millimetres (23 to 26 in). The plumage of the male is black, the upper parts glossed with green or blue, the underparts rather duller. The iris of the eye is reddish-brown and there is reddish-brown or purplish bare skin around and behind the eye. The beak, the bare skin on the throat, the large wattle, the legs and feet are reddish-orange. The female, by contrast, is black, heavily mottled and barred with reddish-brown and cinnamon, with a red beak and bare skin round the beak, and purplish bare skin round the eye.
The three syntype specimens of Penelope niger Fraser (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1850 (1852), p.246... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Celaque National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Macaw mountain bird park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Highland Guan sighting in Cusuco National Park on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 148th most-seen of the 250 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Highland Guan in Cusuco National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Highland Guan sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Highland Guan sightings, Cusuco National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in El Triunfo (Mexico, about 30%) and Celaque National Park (Honduras, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Highland Guan is recorded against all the birds logged in Cusuco National Park (43 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
