The great curassow (Crax rubra) is a 36-inch tall game bird which has similarities to a chicken, like scratching the ground for food. The curassow flies down from the trees in its forest habitat to forage on the ground for fruit, berries or leaves, but it prefers to walk from place to place once it is on the ground. All great curassows have a peak of forward-curling feathers on their heads, and long tails. The male is black with a curly crest, a white belly, and a yellow knob on its bill. The colouring of the females varies; they can be black or chestnut-coloured with black or white bars and their heads and crest may be striped with black and white. They have long lifespans (up to 24 years) and a low rate of reproduction. It is the most massive and heavy species in the family but its length is matched by a few other cracids. Like other curassows, this large forest bird spends much of its time stalking about on the forest floor in search of fallen fruits, berries and seeds, as well as large insects and the occasional small animal. It is found in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador; also in Cozumel, the coast of Yucatan, Panama and Costa Rica.
