Spix's Guan

Spix's Guan

Penelope jacquacu

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Manu National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

1,264 Verified sightings at Manu National Park From 2019 to 2026
3,250 In all 7 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spix's Guan

Spix's guan (Penelope jacquacu) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae. It is "the prototypical cracid of the Amazonian lowlands." The common name commemorates the German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix (1782-1826).

It was at times considered conspecific with dusky-legged guan (P. obscura) or crested guan (P. purpurascens). P. j. speciosa was once considered a race of dusky-legged guan, and "Grant's guan" was formerly considered a separate species.

The four subspecies of Spix's guan differ in weight and plumage, and there are intergrades between them. Their length is 66–76 cm (26–30 in). The male and female nominate P. j. jacquacu weigh 1.24–1.36 kg (2.7–3.0 lb) and 1.14 kg (2.5 lb) respectively. The male P. j. orienticola weighs 1.40–1.78 kg (3.1–3.9 lb) and the female 1.27–1.72 kg (2.8–3.8 lb). The nominate subspecies is bronzy olive green above and bright reddish below. "Grant's" is much darker; the upper parts have a blue-green gloss and the red underside is dark... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Dusk song0:41

Ecuador · 2026

© Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · XC1182842 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:14

Ecuador · 2026

© Daan van der Hoeven · XC1155241 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Wing rattle0:08

Ecuador · 2025

© Marc Anderson · XC986580 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~30%
2 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
3 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~20%
4 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
5 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
6 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
7 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Zoo Pilsen 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
2 Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos 🇧🇴 Bolivia In captivity
3 Zoológico de Fauna Sudamericana 🇧🇴 Bolivia In captivity
4 Agroflori Parque de las Aves 🇧🇴 Bolivia In captivity
5 Zoológico do Acre 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
6 Amazon Rescue Center 🇵🇪 Peru In captivity
7 Wiwa Quito 🇪🇨 Ecuador In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spix's Guan in Manu National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spix's Guan sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 1,264 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 34th most-seen of the 641 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spix's Guan in Manu National Park?

August and November

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Spix's Guan in Manu National Park on a given day, against about 10% in February, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Spix's Guan?

Between 6 and 9 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spix's Guan sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Manu National Park the best place to see a Spix's Guan?

Yes

Of the 7 parks where we can rate Spix's Guan sightings, Manu National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 20%) and Tambopata National Reserve (Peru, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Spix's Guan live in Manu National Park?

Same family: Cracidae

The closest relatives of the Spix's Guan that you can see in Manu National Park (family Cracidae, Guans, Chachalacas, and Curassows) are Speckled Chachalaca (about 40%), Blue-throated Piping-Guan (about 30%) and Razor-billed Curassow (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Spix's Guan sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spix's Guan is recorded against all the birds logged in Manu National Park (1,264 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.

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