The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 124(2):316-320, 2012 
POPULATION DENSITY OF THE HELMETED CURASSOW 
0 PAUXI PAUXI) IN TAMA NATIONAL PARK, COLOMBIA 
VICTOR SETINA, 14 DIEGO J. LIZCANO. 1 DANIEL M. BROOKS. 2 AND 
LUIS fAbio SILVEIRA' 
ABSTRACT.—We estimated the population density of the Helmeted Curassow (Pauxi panxi ) in Tama National Park 
(TNP) Colombia, using visual counts between December 2006 and December 2008. We used six line transects (1 km each) 
equitably distributed in a natural forest between 800 and 1.200 m asl in the southern part of the park. The sampling effort was 
588 hrs with a total distance of 490 km. a detection rate of 0.06 records/hr, and an encounter rate of 0.08 indivtduals/km. 
Only solitary individuals were recorded (n = 40); the estimated density was 4,8 individuals/km*. Most detections occuned in 
the lower strata of the forest (floor and sub-canopy) where hunters take advantage of curassows in the lower strata for 
successful harvest. The southern sector of TNP becomes important in the dry season. Our study suggests a large population is 
in TNP. but harvesting activities including removal of eggs, chicks, and juveniles, and hunting adults are affecting the 
reproductive rate and population of the species. Received 6 June 2011. Accepted 2 February 2012. 
The Helmeted Curassow (Pauxi pauxi) occurs 
in Venezuela and Colombia. Its distribution in 
Colombia is discontinuous in the Perija Mountain 
Range and the Cordillera Oriental. It inhabits 
dense rainforest and montane cloud forest at 
altitudes from 500 to 2,800 m asl (Naveda- 
Rodriguez and Strahl 2006), but is most com¬ 
monly seen within the cloud forest between 1.000 
and 1,500 m asl (Hilty and Brown 1986). It has 
been subjected to loss of habitat and hunting 
pressure (Silva and Strahl 1997a. b). The latter 
has a negative effect on populations due to low 
density and slow intrinsic rate of reproduction 
(Silva and Strahl 1991, Renjifo et al. 2002. Brooks 
and Fuller 2006). The Helmeted Curassow usually 
avoids human presence in hunted areas (Silva 
1999), making visual counts complicated and 
requiring intense sampling effort to obtain reliable 
data. The density of this species may also depend 
on social behavior, along with availability and 
quality of habitat (Buckland el al. 1993). The 
population has been estimated at 1,000-2,499 
individuals and globally is classified as Endan¬ 
gered (Naveda-Rodriguez and Strahl 2006. Bird- 
Life International 201 lb). The objectives of our 
research were to estimate: (1) the density of 
Helmeted Curassows in the southern sector of 
1 Laboratorio de Eculogfa y Biugeografia. Univcrsidad de 
Pamplona, Facultad de Ciencias Basicas. Universidad de 
Pamplona. Pamplona, None de Santander, Colombia. 
2 Housion Museum of Natural Science. Department of 
Vertebrate Zoology. 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston 
TX 77030, USA. 
Sefao de Aves, Musen de Zonlogia da Univcrsidade de 
Sao Paulo. Caixa Postal 11461. CEP 05422-970, Sao Paulo 
Brazil. 
Corresponding author; e-mail: vsetina@gmail.com 
Tama National Park, and (2) the population size iri 
a forest between 800 and 1,200 m asl. 
METHODS 
Study Area .—This study was conducted in 
Tatna National Park (TNP) (07 27' N, 72 28' 
W) al the northern lip of the Cordillera Oriental in 
the jurisdiction of Herran and Toledo municipal¬ 
ities. Norte de Santander, Colombia (Fig. I). The 
Park contains 48.000 ha of protected area and 
is connected to a park of the same name in 
Venezuela, which together comprise the Tama 
massif in the Tama Binational Park (UAESPNN 
2008). I NP has different climates due to altitu¬ 
dinal variation, ranging between 350 and 3.500 m 
asl. This area is considered an Important Bird 
Area (IB A# CO 189) by Bird Life International 
(2011a). 
Surveys were conducted in an area of 1.000 ha. 
covering ~12% of the 8.640 ha of the Helmeted 
Curassow distribution within TNP (UAESPNN 
2008). This area is characterized by mature forest 
with altitudes ranging from 800 to 1.400 m asl 
with annual rainfall of 863 mm and a rainy season 
from April to September. 
Field Work .—We used a line-transect method 
(Buckland et al. 1993) with two visual obseners 
and repeated surveys along six line transects of 
I km each, evenly distributed in the study area 
Transects were sampled between 0400 and 08CX 
hrs EST in one direction, and in the reverse 
direction between 1400 and 1800 hrs at an 
average speed of I ktn/1.2 hrs (70 min) surveyed 
at the rate of one transect/day. Survey population 
censuses were conducted during 2007-2008. 
except for May, June, and September 2007 and 
316 
