The Crested CuraSSOWS {Crax globkera) 



By G. O. Shields 



An interesting race of birds, known as the Curassows, has its range through- 

 out that part of South America, east of the Andes mountain range and north of 

 Paraguay. All the species are confined to this region except one, which is found 

 in Central America and Mexico. This is the bird of our illustration {Crax 

 globkera). 



The Curassows belong to the order of gallinaceous birds and bear the same 

 relation to South America that the pheasants and grouse bear to the Old World. 

 They are in every respect the most important and the most perfect game birds of 

 the district which they inhabit. In all there are twelve species placed under four 

 genera. As the hind toes of the feet are placed on a level with the others they 

 resemble the pigeon and are unlike many of the other gallinaceous birds. 



The Curassows are very large and rather heavy birds and some of them are 

 larger than our turkey. They have short wings and a strong bill. At the base of 

 the upper mandible and on the upper side there is a large tubercle-like excrescence 

 which is of a yellow color and quite hard. Upon the head there is a gracefully 

 arched crest of feathers which is made of curled feathers, the tips of which are 

 white in some of the species. This crest can l)e lowered or raised at the will of 

 the bird. The plumage of the species illustrated is a beautiful and velvety black, 

 except the white on the lower portion of the body. It is said that their motions 

 are much more graceful than are those of our common domestic turkey. **They 

 live in small flocks, and are arboreal in their habits, only occasionally descending 

 to the ground, while roosting and building their nests on the branches of trees." 

 The nests are large and made of twigs and willowy branches held in place by the 

 stems of grasses, which are neatly interwoven between them. The nest is lined 

 with down, feathers and leaves. 



It is said that they are easily domesticated and that in some parts of South 

 America they may be found in large flocks around the homes of the plains. One 

 authority states that at about the beginning of the present century a large number 

 of Curassows w^ere taken from Dutch Guiana to Holland, where they became 

 thoroughly domesticated, breeding as readily as any other kind of domestic poul- 

 try. Though a tropical bird, it would seem that they might be acclimatized. They 

 would certainly form a valuable addition to the list of our farm fowls, for their 

 flesh is said to be ''exceedingly white and delicate." 



The female is not as large as the male and is usually reddish in color. Their 

 food consists almost entirely of fruit and insects. 



About the middle of the eighteenth century Eleazar Albin wrote "A Natural 

 Histor}' of Birds," in w^hich he gives a very interesting account of the Curassow 

 and an excellent illustration of the bird. He says : 'T took a pourtray of this 

 bird at Chelmsford in Essex ; it was very tame and sociable, eating and drinking 

 with any company. The Cock I had of a man from the West Indies. They are 

 generally brought from Carasow, from whence they take their Name. . They are 

 called by the Indians Tecuecholi, Mountain-Bird or American Pheasant." 



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