The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 124(2):321 —327, 2012 
THE RED-BILLED CURASSOW (CRAX BLUMENBACHIP ): SOCIAL 
ORGANIZATION, AND DAILY ACTIVITY PATTERNS 
ANA CAROLINA SRBEK-ARAUJO, 1 " LUIS FABIO SILVEIRA. 15 AND A. G. CHIARELLO 4 
ABSTRACT—We studied the Red-billed Currasow (Crux blumenbachii) in Vale Natural Reserve, Linhares, Espirito 
Santo State. Brazil, using camera traps. We found the Red-billed Curassow present in the entire area of the reserve 
- 22.000 ha) during 40 months of camera trapping (2005-2008). Most records were of single individuals, especially 
males, but pairs and even groups of individuals were also recorded. Males were paired with one and two females, 
suggesting polygyny in the species. The species was recorded throughout the day with one peak from 0500 to 0600 hrs and 
another after 1600 hrs. The daily activity pattern was similar for males and females. The number and w idespread nature of 
the records suggests the local population of this species may be higher than previously thought. Received 10 March 2011. 
Accepted 5 December 2011. 
The Red-billed Curassow (Cm .x blumenbachii) 
is endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and 
originally occurred in lowland forests from 
southern Bahia (Iiubera) to Rio de Janeiro and 
eastern Minas Gerais states (Hellmayr and Con¬ 
over 1942, Delacour and Amadou 1973. Sick 
1997. IB AM A and Ministerio do Meio Ambiente 
2004). This curassow has disappeared from much 
ot its original range and is now considered extinct 
in Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, where indi¬ 
viduals were Iasi seen in 1963 near Sao Fidclis: 
there are no recent records for native populations 
in Minas Gerais (Sick 1969. IBAMA and 
Ministerio do Meio Ambiente 2004). However, 
reintroduction programs are ongoing in both those 
states (Bernardo et al. 2011). 
Recent reports of this curassow are only from 
southern Bahia (Una Biological Reserve, Desco- 
brimento National Park, ltubera) and northern 
Espirito Santo (Vale Nature Reserve. Sooretama 
Biological Reserve) (IBAMA and Ministerio do 
Meio Ambiente 2004). Current estimates place the 
total numbers at 250 individuals, which makes 
this species one of the most threatened in the 
Neotropics (IBAMA and Ministerio do Meio 
Programa de Pos-gntduufao cm Ecologiu. Couscrvayao 
v Manejode Vida Silvcslre, Universidadc Federal dc Minas 
Gemis-Avenida Antonio Carlos, n 6627. Pumpulha, CEP 
9270-yoi, Belo Horizonte. Minas Gerais, Brazil. 
Vale S.A./Rcservy Natural Valc-Caixa Postal n 91. 
Centro. CEP 29900-970. Linhares. Espirito Santo, Brazil. 
Museu de Zoologia, Universidadc de Sao Paulo-Caixa 
Postal 11461. CEP 05422-970. Sao Paulo, Brazil. 
J Departamento de Biologia. Fuculdade de Eilosofta, 
Ciencias e Letras de Rikdrao Preto. Cniversidade de Sao 
Paulo-Avenida dos Batidcirantcs. n 3900. CEP 14040-901, 
Ribcirao Preto, Sao Paulo. Brazil. 
'Corresponding author, e-mail: lfsilvei@usp.br 
Ambiente 2004. IUCN 2009). The Red-billed 
Curassow is considered endangered both nationally 
and internationally (Silveira 2005, IUCN 2009); it 
is critically endangered in the states of Espirito 
Santo (Sitnon et al. 2007) and Minas Gerais 
(Funda^ao Biodiversitas 2007), and is probably 
extinct in Rio dc Janeiro (Alves et al. 2000). 
Habitat loss in the Atlantic Forest and hunting 
are considered ihe most important factors con¬ 
tributing to the decline of the Red-billed Curas¬ 
sow (IBAMA and Ministerio do Meio Ambiente 
2004. IUCN 2009). Habitat loss occurs in a 
variety of ways, all of which contribute to the 
declines, including the increasing incidence of 
forest fire (IBAMA and Ministerio do Meio 
Ambiente 2004, IUCN 2009). Hunting was first 
noted many years ago (Wied 1821. 1940) and 
later when the bird was in imminent danger of 
extinction (Hellmayr and Conover 1942). 
The lack of information about the general 
biology of the Red-billed Curassow is alarming 
considering the gravity of the situation. The few 
reports of its natural history are anecdotal (and 
often conflicting), rather than based on scientific 
observations (Wied 1821; H. Sick. pers. comm, in 
Delacour and Aniadon 1973). 
The objective of our paper is to report natural 
history data for this species obtained during a 3-year 
study using camera traps m Vale Nature Reserve 
(Linhares City). This reserve, together with the 
adjacent Reserva Bioldgica de Sooretama (Soor¬ 
etama City), represents the largest area for survival 
of Red-billed Curassows in Espirito Santo State. 
METHODS 
Study Area .—We studied the Red-billed Curas¬ 
sow' in the Vale Nature Reserve (VNR-Reserva 
Natural Vale). 30 km north of Doce River in the 
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