Trumpeters | Psophiidae

Trompetvogels | Trumpeters | Trompeteros

Two species occur in this guide, both in the genus Psophia and both in the rainforest of the Amazonian lowlands at the eastern foot of the Andes: the Grey-winged Trumpeter north of the Amazon in Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru, the Pale-winged Trumpeter south of it in Peru and Bolivia. Large rivers form the boundaries between species and subspecies, and the number of species recognised differs between classifications. Trumpeters are chicken-sized ground birds with a hunched back, a long neck, long legs and a short, fowl-like bill. The plumage is largely velvety black with a purple or green sheen, and the loose, hair-like feathers of the inner flight feathers form a pale patch on the back, white or grey depending on the species. They live in groups in tall, undisturbed forest, where they eat fallen fruit, often beneath trees in which monkeys are feeding, as well as insects and other small animals. A group defends a territory together and the young are fed by several group members. The name refers to the deep, humming and trumpeting calls. The nest is in a tree cavity. Because of hunting, trumpeters quickly disappear from forest around settlements.