Horned Guan

Range: Southeastern Mexico and Guatemala Habitat: highland forests Conservation Status: Critically endangered Scientific Name: Oreophasis derbianus Large and dramatic, horned guans are predominantly glossy black, with a unique horn of bare skin extending from the top of their head.  About the size of a small turkey, horned guans are arboreal, meaning they prefer to spend their time in the trees and rarely come down to the ground.  The guans feast mainly on fruit and leaves.   Horned guans build their nests high in the leafy tree branches, some reaching up to 66 feet off the ground.  Males will mate with several females, with each hen producing two eggs in a clutch.  Their incubation period is one of the longest documented in their family of cracids, lasting approximately 36 days.  Fewer than 1,000 horned guans now exist in the wild.  Their woodland habitat is being cleared by loggers and coffee farmers, who often clear entire hillsides at a time.  Guans are also a source of much-needed protein and are being hunted for food.

Here at the Zoo

The Bird House is home to our horned guans. The Saint Louis Zoo is the only United States zoo to exhibit this highly endangered species.

The Zoo is Helping Horned Guans

The Saint Louis Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for horned guans. This is a cooperative breeding program, with a number of zoos working together to ensure the survival of the species.

Our Zoo is the leading U.S. organization working to preserve the horned guan, through the WildCare Institute's Center for Conservation of the Horned Guan (Pavon) in Mexico.  We are studying the horned guan, developing a long-term recovery plan and teaching local communities how to farm in more habitat-friendly ways.