This peculiar bird of South America has a large red throat wattle with a blue base and a ring of bare bluish skin around the eyes. The feathers are mainly black, including on the forehead. The neck and upper breast feathers are edged with white and the wings are each decorated with a large, white patch. The crown and nape are white, the bill is pale blue with a black tip, and the legs are red. The black-fronted piping-guan calls with a soft whistle (4).