Great Curassow

Crax rubra

eBird gives this description for the Great Curassow:  Very large game bird of tropical forest, eliminated from most areas by hunting. Rarely found except in protected parks or very remote areas. Usually seen on the forest floor, singly or in small groups, but also feeds in trees. Males often sing from high in canopy: song is a very low-pitched, almost subliminal, booming sound. Not likely to be confused if seen well. Both sexes have distinctive curly crest. Female plumage is variable: some have bold barring, others have darker and mostly unbarred plumage.

The Birds of the World website provides this information about this bird:  The Great Curassow is a physically large Cracid that ranges from Mexico south to Ecuador. It is a secretive species found in humid tropical forests that feeds mostly on fruits but also eats small invertebrates as well as vertebrates. Males are black with white under parts, a shaggy crest and a bright yellow spherical knob on the bill. Females are polymorphic, usually either barred (rare), rufous, or blackish. The Great Curassow have varying calls that range from low frequency booms to high-pitched yips. The species is declining due to habitat loss and overhunting, but it still can be seen stealing across the forest floor or feeding in the upper levels of the tree canopy.

I saw my first Great Curassow while on my trip to Costa Rica with Tropical Birding Tours.  We were walking trails in the jungle across the river from the main compound at La Selva on the morning of February 6, 2023, when our local guide (Octavio) spotted a Great Curassow high up in the canopy.  It was hard to get a good shot of this unusual bird, but below you will find my best efforts.