Psophia
Family of birds from the Amazon / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Psophia is a genus of birds restricted to the humid forests of the Amazon and Guiana Shield in South America. It is the only genus in the family Psophiidae. Birds in the genus are commonly known as trumpeters, due to the trumpeting or cackling threat call of the males.[1] The three species resemble slightly taller, longer-legged chickens in size and appearance; they measure 45 to 52 centimetres (18 to 20 inches) long and weigh 1 to 1.5 kg (2.2 to 3.3 lb).[1] They are rotund birds with long, flexible necks and legs, downward-curving bills[2] and a “hunched” appearance.[3] Their heads are small, but their eyes are relatively large, making them look inquisitive and "good-natured". The plumage is soft, resembling fur or velvet on the head and neck. It is mostly black, with purple, green, or bronze iridescence, particularly on the wing coverts and the lower neck. In the best-known taxa, the secondary and tertial flight feathers are white, grey, or greenish-black and hairlike, falling over the lower back, which is the same colour. These colours give the three generally accepted species their names.[1]
Trumpeters | |
---|---|
Grey-winged trumpeter (Psophia crepitans) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Gruiformes |
Family: | Psophiidae Bonaparte, 1831 |
Genus: | Psophia Linnaeus, 1758 |
Type species | |
Psophia crepitans (grey-winged trumpeter) Linnaeus, 1758 | |
Species | |
3–8, see text | |
Approximate distribution of grey-winged (red), pale-winged (green) and dark-winged trumpeter (orange). The ranges are separated by large rivers. |