I am Tjalle Boorsma, Conservation Program Director, Asociación Armonía (BirdLife International partner, Bolivia)
Asociación Armonía has been the only organization actively working on the conservation of the Horned Curassow for over 15 years. We have conducted population size estimations, collaborated closely with the Indigenous Yuracaré communities within the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS), and led conservation initiatives throughout the species’ known distribution. Based on our experience and continuous field presence, I express strong concern regarding the proposed downlisting of the Horned Curassow from Critically Endangered (CR) to Endangered (EN).
Lack of Reliable Population Data:
The proposed downlisting is not supported by current, robust population data. No recent large-scale or systematic surveys have been conducted to establish population trends for this elusive and understudied species. The assumption that forest cover equates to population viability is flawed. In the case of the Horned Curassow, forest cover alone does not reflect increasing pressures from unsustainable hunting, habitat degradation, and encroachment—even within designated protected areas.
Escalating Threats Across the Range:
The Yungas and Amazonian foothills of Amboró National Park, Carrasco National Park, and TIPNIS are among the most difficult regions to operate in due to ongoing illicit activities linked to cocaine production. Lowland areas around protected zones are being rapidly converted to coca plantations, with increased occupation by non-Indigenous settlers. We have documented rising levels of unsustainable hunting, which likely includes the Horned Curassow.
The TIPNIS region, once a stronghold for the species, is under increasing threat. A newly constructed road near Fátima de Moleto, within the protected area, appears connected to illegal gold mining. This infrastructure is opening access to remote areas, further intensifying hunting and land-use change. Once the road between Santa Cruz and San Ignacio de Moxos is completed, TIPNIS—the last stronghold for the species—will be further fragmented and degraded.
Loss of Ex-situ Conservation Potential:
The only two known Horned Curassows held in captivity, located at the Santa Cruz Zoo and previously considered for a potential captive breeding program, have died. Currently, no individuals exist in captivity, eliminating the possibility of reintroduction or insurance populations in the foreseeable future.
Weak Protection in “Protected” Areas:
Although the species’ known distribution overlaps with several national parks, the reality on the ground is alarming. Due to severe underfunding of Bolivia’s protected area system over the past two decades, there is virtually no enforcement or biological monitoring. Park rangers lack the necessary resources to patrol or control illegal activities, and land purchase or stricter private protection mechanisms cannot be implemented due to legal limitations within national parks.
Recommendation:
I strongly recommend maintaining the species’ status as Critically Endangered until a comprehensive, range-wide population census is conducted. Downlisting the species at this point risks undermining efforts to secure urgently needed funding. The Horned Curassow already receives limited conservation attention, and a lower threat category would significantly jeopardize the potential to protect the species before irreversible losses occur.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 25 April 2025. We will now analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List category on this page on 25 April 2025, when discussions will re-open.
We thank T. Boorsma for the information shared above and recognise the work Asociación Armonía undertake to conserve the species and protect the remaining habitat. This proposed change does not reflect the change in extinction risk to the species but is a correction recognising the greater data available to infer extinction risk; forest loss rates, a quantification of the area of suitable habitat and accounting for the difficulty of access to a sizeable proportion of the range. This assessment does not seek to minimise the risks faced by the species. At Endangered, a species has ‘a very high risk of extinction in the wild’ (IUCN 2012). This reflects the severity of the threats to the species across its range. In assessing the species against the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria there is no evidence that the rate of population reduction has exceeded 80% in the past three generations, despite acceptance that the threats outlined are likely to be causing ongoing rapid declines within accessible areas of the range. It is not clear from the response which other criteria the species is suggested to potentially meet to be assessed as Critically Endangered. The species remains a high priority in need of continued conservation action to reduce the risk of extinction.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2025 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classification outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 4 May 2025, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2025 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition.
Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iv + 32pp.
Thank you for the clarification regarding the reasoning behind the proposed downlisting. However, I must reiterate my strong concern that this decision does not reflect the urgent conservation needs of one of Bolivia’s most threatened bird species. There is currently no quantitative population trend data available to justify either maintaining the species as Critically Endangered or downlisting it to Endangered. Nevertheless, all existing evidence points to an extremely dire situation. Based on field observations, community reports, and our extensive conservation experience with the species, I can confidently state that the Horned Curassow is likely the most threatened bird species in Bolivia today.
All existing population estimates for the Horned Curassow are based on extrapolations of sparse field data, assuming uniform densities across large areas. This methodology overlooks the reality that widespread hunting pressure has severely fragmented and depleted local populations. In our ongoing communication with Indigenous communities, hunters consistently report that Horned Curassows have disappeared from areas where they were previously encountered. These local observations, based on extensive knowledge of the forest, provide some of the most reliable indicators of the species’ continuing decline. The Rio Leche site held a high density, but current evaluations still result complete absence of the Horned Curassow.
Carrasco National Park has been extensively invaded by settlers, clearly visible on satellite imagery, and TIPNIS is facing overwhelming colonization by farmers, alongside intensifying hunting pressures. Similarly, in Amboró National Park, areas where Horned Curassows were once observed no longer support detectable populations.
It is important to emphasize that forest cover and habitat inaccessibility does not equate to population security. Curassows, as large-bodied, ground-dwelling birds, are among the first species to be hunted out even when forest cover appears intact. The argument that parts of the range remain inaccessible is misleading in this context and does not account for the silent emptying of the forest through hunting.
Moreover, there is currently no captive population to provide an ex-situ safety net, further elevating the species’ vulnerability. Bolivia’s protected area system, though extensive on paper, is critically underfunded and lacks effective enforcement.
Top-down reassessments without any population data available that ignore the on-the-ground realities risk seriously undermining conservation efforts. Downlisting the species will make it significantly harder to secure urgently needed funding and national attention for its protection.
Given these facts, I strongly recommend that the Horned Curassow remain listed as Critically Endangered until a comprehensive, independent, and range-wide population census is conducted to reliably assess current trends. In the absence of such rigorous data, it is premature and risky to assume a lower extinction risk.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and a final decision on this species’ Red List category will be posted on this page on 12 May 2025.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Horned Curassow is recommended to be listed as Endangered under Criterion C2a(ii).
We emphasise that this assessment represents a correction and does not imply that the extinction risk for the species is lower today than it was previously. It is based on the data available currently. The species is assessed as being at a very high risk of extinction in the wild, remains among the most threatened species in Bolivia and continues to be of very high conservation concern.
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2025.2 GTB Forum process. The final Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
I am Tjalle Boorsma, Conservation Program Director, Asociación Armonía (BirdLife International partner, Bolivia)
Asociación Armonía has been the only organization actively working on the conservation of the Horned Curassow for over 15 years. We have conducted population size estimations, collaborated closely with the Indigenous Yuracaré communities within the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS), and led conservation initiatives throughout the species’ known distribution. Based on our experience and continuous field presence, I express strong concern regarding the proposed downlisting of the Horned Curassow from Critically Endangered (CR) to Endangered (EN).
Lack of Reliable Population Data:
The proposed downlisting is not supported by current, robust population data. No recent large-scale or systematic surveys have been conducted to establish population trends for this elusive and understudied species. The assumption that forest cover equates to population viability is flawed. In the case of the Horned Curassow, forest cover alone does not reflect increasing pressures from unsustainable hunting, habitat degradation, and encroachment—even within designated protected areas.
Escalating Threats Across the Range:
The Yungas and Amazonian foothills of Amboró National Park, Carrasco National Park, and TIPNIS are among the most difficult regions to operate in due to ongoing illicit activities linked to cocaine production. Lowland areas around protected zones are being rapidly converted to coca plantations, with increased occupation by non-Indigenous settlers. We have documented rising levels of unsustainable hunting, which likely includes the Horned Curassow.
The TIPNIS region, once a stronghold for the species, is under increasing threat. A newly constructed road near Fátima de Moleto, within the protected area, appears connected to illegal gold mining. This infrastructure is opening access to remote areas, further intensifying hunting and land-use change. Once the road between Santa Cruz and San Ignacio de Moxos is completed, TIPNIS—the last stronghold for the species—will be further fragmented and degraded.
Loss of Ex-situ Conservation Potential:
The only two known Horned Curassows held in captivity, located at the Santa Cruz Zoo and previously considered for a potential captive breeding program, have died. Currently, no individuals exist in captivity, eliminating the possibility of reintroduction or insurance populations in the foreseeable future.
Weak Protection in “Protected” Areas:
Although the species’ known distribution overlaps with several national parks, the reality on the ground is alarming. Due to severe underfunding of Bolivia’s protected area system over the past two decades, there is virtually no enforcement or biological monitoring. Park rangers lack the necessary resources to patrol or control illegal activities, and land purchase or stricter private protection mechanisms cannot be implemented due to legal limitations within national parks.
Recommendation:
I strongly recommend maintaining the species’ status as Critically Endangered until a comprehensive, range-wide population census is conducted. Downlisting the species at this point risks undermining efforts to secure urgently needed funding. The Horned Curassow already receives limited conservation attention, and a lower threat category would significantly jeopardize the potential to protect the species before irreversible losses occur.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 25 April 2025. We will now analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List category on this page on 25 April 2025, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
We thank T. Boorsma for the information shared above and recognise the work Asociación Armonía undertake to conserve the species and protect the remaining habitat. This proposed change does not reflect the change in extinction risk to the species but is a correction recognising the greater data available to infer extinction risk; forest loss rates, a quantification of the area of suitable habitat and accounting for the difficulty of access to a sizeable proportion of the range. This assessment does not seek to minimise the risks faced by the species. At Endangered, a species has ‘a very high risk of extinction in the wild’ (IUCN 2012). This reflects the severity of the threats to the species across its range. In assessing the species against the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria there is no evidence that the rate of population reduction has exceeded 80% in the past three generations, despite acceptance that the threats outlined are likely to be causing ongoing rapid declines within accessible areas of the range. It is not clear from the response which other criteria the species is suggested to potentially meet to be assessed as Critically Endangered. The species remains a high priority in need of continued conservation action to reduce the risk of extinction.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2025 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classification outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 4 May 2025, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2025 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition.
Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iv + 32pp.
Thank you for the clarification regarding the reasoning behind the proposed downlisting. However, I must reiterate my strong concern that this decision does not reflect the urgent conservation needs of one of Bolivia’s most threatened bird species. There is currently no quantitative population trend data available to justify either maintaining the species as Critically Endangered or downlisting it to Endangered. Nevertheless, all existing evidence points to an extremely dire situation. Based on field observations, community reports, and our extensive conservation experience with the species, I can confidently state that the Horned Curassow is likely the most threatened bird species in Bolivia today.
All existing population estimates for the Horned Curassow are based on extrapolations of sparse field data, assuming uniform densities across large areas. This methodology overlooks the reality that widespread hunting pressure has severely fragmented and depleted local populations. In our ongoing communication with Indigenous communities, hunters consistently report that Horned Curassows have disappeared from areas where they were previously encountered. These local observations, based on extensive knowledge of the forest, provide some of the most reliable indicators of the species’ continuing decline. The Rio Leche site held a high density, but current evaluations still result complete absence of the Horned Curassow.
Carrasco National Park has been extensively invaded by settlers, clearly visible on satellite imagery, and TIPNIS is facing overwhelming colonization by farmers, alongside intensifying hunting pressures. Similarly, in Amboró National Park, areas where Horned Curassows were once observed no longer support detectable populations.
It is important to emphasize that forest cover and habitat inaccessibility does not equate to population security. Curassows, as large-bodied, ground-dwelling birds, are among the first species to be hunted out even when forest cover appears intact. The argument that parts of the range remain inaccessible is misleading in this context and does not account for the silent emptying of the forest through hunting.
Moreover, there is currently no captive population to provide an ex-situ safety net, further elevating the species’ vulnerability. Bolivia’s protected area system, though extensive on paper, is critically underfunded and lacks effective enforcement.
Top-down reassessments without any population data available that ignore the on-the-ground realities risk seriously undermining conservation efforts. Downlisting the species will make it significantly harder to secure urgently needed funding and national attention for its protection.
Given these facts, I strongly recommend that the Horned Curassow remain listed as Critically Endangered until a comprehensive, independent, and range-wide population census is conducted to reliably assess current trends. In the absence of such rigorous data, it is premature and risky to assume a lower extinction risk.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and a final decision on this species’ Red List category will be posted on this page on 12 May 2025.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Horned Curassow is recommended to be listed as Endangered under Criterion C2a(ii).
We emphasise that this assessment represents a correction and does not imply that the extinction risk for the species is lower today than it was previously. It is based on the data available currently. The species is assessed as being at a very high risk of extinction in the wild, remains among the most threatened species in Bolivia and continues to be of very high conservation concern.
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2025.2 GTB Forum process. The final Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.