Cauca Guan (Penelope perspicax) chick ©BirdPhotos.com
Here is the second group of birds in the Cracidae Family. Last weeks Chachalacas were rather plain, but an interesting group. Today’s second set of species has 20 Guans and 4 Piping Guans. You will notice a little more variety and coloring in these Guans, yet the overall shapes are similiar to the Chachalacas. “The guans are a number of bird genera which make up the largest group in the family Cracidae. They are found mainly in northern South America, southern Central America, and a few adjacent Caribbean islands. There is also the peculiar horned guan (Oreophasis derbianus) which is not a true guan, but a very distinct and ancient cracid with no close living relatives (Pereira et al. 2002).”
Rusty-margined Guan (Penelope superciliaris) ©BirdPhotos.com
These are distributed through 6 genera. These are the birds in the Penelope genera; Band-tailed Guan, Bearded Guan, Baudo Guan, Andean Guan, Marail Guan, Rusty-margined Guan, Red-faced Guan, Crested Guan, Cauca Guan, White-winged Guan, Spix’s Guan, Dusky-legged Guan, White-crested Guan, Chestnut-bellied Guan, and White-browed Guan
Black-fronted Piping Guan (Pipile jacutinga) ©BirdPhotos.com
There are 4 in the Pipile genera; Trinidad Piping Guan, Blue-throated Piping Guan, Red-throated Piping Guan, and the Black-fronted Piping Guan
Horned Guan (Oreophasis derbianus) ©©Flickr JoshMore
Wattled Guan is in Aburria, Black Guan and Sickle-winged Guan are in the Chamaepetes genus, Highland Guan in the Penelopina and the Horned Guan in the Oreophasis generas.
I found this additional remark in Wikipedia rather amazing. “This indicates that the guans’ origin is in the northern Andes region, in the general area of Colombia or perhaps Ecuador; the date of their initial radiation is not well resolved due to the lack of fossil evidence but can be very roughly placed around 40–25 mya (Oligocene, perhaps some time earlier). The two basal lineages diverged during the Burdigalian, around 20–15 mya.(Pereira et al. 2002)” They have no proof or fossil evidence, yet they came up with these millions of years. Their initial radiation was the day they came off of the ark., which was not millions of years ago.
“Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.” (Genesis 8:17-19 KJV)
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“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” (Psalms 27:5 KJV)
“Hide Thou Me” ~ ©The Hyssongs (with permission)
Verse and song picked because of how well these created birds are able to blend in and hide from their enemies..
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More Sunday Inspirations
Cracadaie Family – Wikipedia
Many Photos by BirdPhotos.com
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 