Great curassow  (Crax rubra)

The great curassow is not immediately endangered because it still has a wide distribution, but it has undergone considerable decline as a result of hunting and habitat loss, and is becoming increasingly dependent for survival upon a few well-maintained reserves (10) (11). Due to its large size and palatability, this bird is a favourite target by hunters, and is widely hunted for food and therefore now highly reduced in numbers near settlements (10) (11). Additionally, deforestation of humid and deciduous tropical forests is a major threat to the survival of this sizeable bird, which is severely reducing and fragmenting its remaining habitat, whilst at the same time opening up the forest to settlements and poachers (4) (6) (10). Whilst subsistence hunters normally take only one bird at a time and are thought to have relatively little impact on populations, the existence of commercial hunting in certain areas is of greater concern, since this typically involves taking entire groups of curassows in one go, which could rapidly lead to local extinctions (12).

The great curassow is legally protected across much of its range, and occurs in a number of protected areas, in which it remains relatively common or has now recovered from depleted numbers (10).