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Trinidad Piping Guan (Pipile pipile)

Local name: Pawi

The Trinidad Piping-Guan, locally known as the “Pawi,” is Trinidad and Tobago's only endemic bird. In the early 20th century Pawi were common and found throughout Trinidad’s forests, from the mountain peaks to sea level. Today the species is restricted to a much narrower range. It is estimated that there are less than 200 individuals in Trinidad. The Pawi is listed as Critically Endangered (CE) by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red Data List. Habitat loss and overhunting for both subsistence and sport, are the primary causes of its decline. Most hunters within its limited range have ceased from hunting the species after learning more about it during recent education campaigns spearheaded by the Rare Center for Tropical Conservation and the Wildlife Section of the Forestry Division. Recent sightings of Pawi in areas where it had not been observed for many decades suggest that its population may be growing.

Where to Find More Information?

Alexander, G. D. 2002. Observations of the endangered Trinidad Piping-Guan (Pipile pipile), or Pawi, in northern Trinidad. Pp. 119-130 in Studies in Trinidad and Tobago Ornithology Honouring Richard ffrench (F. E. Hayes and S. A. Temple, eds.). Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Occasional Paper no. 11.

Brooks, D. M. and S.D. Strahl 1998. Action Planning for Endangered Piping-Guans (Pipile). Biology and Conservation of the Piping Guans (Aves: Cracidae). D. M. Brooks, F. Olmos and A. J. Begazo, eds. Spec. Publ. Cracid Spec. Group, No. 1. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Butler, P. 1998. Promoting Pride in the Pawi. A conservation education campaign for North-East Trinidad, RARE Centre for Tropical Conservation, Philadelphia, PA, and Forestry Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources, Trinidad.

ffrench, Richard. 1991. A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad & Tobago. Second Edition. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

Hayes, F. E. 2006. Trinidad Piping-Guan (Aburria pipile). Pp. 32-34 in Conserving cracids: the most threatened family of birds in the Americas (D. M. Brooks, ed.). Miscellaneous Publications of the Houston Museum of Science no. 6, Houston, TX.

Hayes, F. E., C. L. Shameerudeen, B. Sanasie, C. L. Ramjohn, and F. B. Lucas. 1999. Status, ecology and behavior of the Trinidad Piping-Guan (Pipile pipile). El Pitirre 12:64.

James, C., and G. Hislop. 1988. Status and conservation of two cracid species, the Pawi or Trinidad Piping-Guan (Pipile pipile) and the Cocrico (Ortalis ruficauda) in Trinidad and Tobago. Forestry Division, Ministry of Food Production, Forestry and Environment, Trinidad.

James, C., and G. Hislop. 1997. Status and conservation of the Trinidad Piping Guan or Pawi (Pipile pipile). Pp. 242-247 in The Cracidae: their biology and conservation (S. D. Strahl, S. Beaujon, D. M. Brooks, A. J. Begazo, G. Sedaghatkish, and F. Olmos, eds.). Hancock House Press, Blaine, WA.

Strahl, S. D. and A. Schmitz 1997. A Taxonomic Reference of the Family Cracidae, for Common Use for Ornithologists. Pp. 1–7 and 503–506 in: The Cracidae: Their Biology and Conservation, S. D. Strahl, S. Beaujon, D.M. Brooks, A.J. Begazo, G. Sedaghatkish, and F. Olmos, eds. Hancock House, Surrey.

Temple, S. A. 1999. The Status of Pipile pipile in Trinidad. P. 13 in: Biology and Conservation of the Piping Guans (Aves: Cracidae). D. M. Brooks, F. Olmos and A. J. Begazo, eds. Spec. Publ. Cracid Spec. Group, No. 1. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Web Sites

For more information, please visit the website of the Pawi Study Group at http://www.geocities.com/pawisgtt/ or http://www.ahailey.f9.co.uk/pawi.htm

BirdLife International (2007) Species factsheet: Pipile pipile. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 14/4/2008

Floyd Hayes
http://www.geocities.com/floyd_hayes/research_piping-guan

World Pheasant Organization
http://www.pheasant.org.uk/home/index.php?t=page&a=cons_america_pipingguan&b=normal

Trinidad Piping-Guan Bird of the Month contributed by Lester W. Doodnath and Kerrie Naranjit and Floyd Hayes.

Guidelines for writing up a Bird of the Month - please send in your contributions!

Bird of the Month - December 2007 - Hispaniolan Parrot

Bird of the Month - September 2007 - Piping Plover

Bird of the Month - April 2007 - Montserrat Oriole

Bird of the Month - March 2007 - Grenada Dove

Bird of the Month - January 2007 - Bicknell's Thrush

Bird of the Month - December 2006 - Rose-throated Parrot

Bird of the Month - November 2006 - Purple-Throated Carib

Bird of the Month - October 2006 - Palmchat

Bird of the Month - September 2006 - Elfin-woods Warbler

Bird of the Month - August 2006 - Red-billed Streamertail

Bird of the Month - July 2006 - Cahow or Bermuda Petrel

Bird of the Month - June 2006 - West Indian Whistling-Duck

Range and Habitat Needs

Pawi formerly occurred in forested areas throughout most of Trinidad, except perhaps in the drier western portions of the island.
Currently the Pawi is found in about 150 square km of evergreen seasonal and montane forest in the eastern half of the Northern Range of Trinidad, where it is resident occurring from near sea level up to the highest ridges. It has not been reported from central Trinidad since the 1980s and the last report from southern Trinidad was in 2000. Observed in deep forest and in disturbed edge habitat.
Pawu are surprisingly tolerant of human disturbance and habitat modification. A small group has persisted in Grande Riviere, along the north coast of Trinidad, since 1963, despite frequent disturbance from humans walking along a road through its home range, and the cutting and burning of plots of land up to 4 hectares in size within its home range of 19 acres, according to an unpublished study conducted from 1997-2001 (F. Hayes).

Interesting Facts

The Pawi was depicted in a stamp printed in 1989.
The Pawi is depicted on the cover of the new “Field Guide to the Birds of Trinidad & Tobago” by Martyn Kenefick, Robin Restall and Floyd Hayes (Christopher Helm, London, and Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2007). Painting by Robin Restall (see image above).

Threats and Conservation Measures

Illegal hunting for both subsistence and sport contributed greatly to the decline of the Pawi. Hunting still occurs but is greatly decreased owing to increased awareness and ecotourism focussed on the Pawi.
The Pawi is also endangered by loss of forest habitat due to habitat destruction in large portions of its range. Logging and deforestation destroy areas that may be used for roosting, nesting and feeding. Fortunately large tracts of relatively pristine forest remain in the Northern Range and in the Southern Range.
Predation on eggs and chicks may contribute to the slow growth rate; hunting dogs may compound this problem.
The Pawi has been officially protected since 1958 by the Conservation of Wildlife Act. It is listed as Critically Endangered (CE) by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red Data List, an ‘Immediate Conservation Priority' in the IUCN Cracid Specialist Group Action Plan and an ‘Environmentally Sensitive Species’ in Trinidad and Tobago (Environmental Management Authority).
Although legislation has been proposed for developing a system of national parks, such legislation has yet to be passed. The proposed Matura National Park in northeastern Trinidad would provide legal habitat protection in a large portion of the Pawi’s range. Passing this legislation is urgently needed in order to help safeguard the survival of this rare endemic.
Several recent research projects have greatly increased our knowledge of the Pawi's biology, yet its status in remote areas of its range remains poorly documented and almost nothing is known of its reproductive biology.
In 2004, the Pawi Study Group (PSG) was formed to bring together individuals and groups which were interested in the Trinidad Piping-guan (Pawi) for the purpose of learning more about the bird and actively promoting its conservation. The PSG has been involved in education and awareness projects, workshops, behavioural studies (with both captive and wild birds), ecological and population biology studies, health monitoring work and sociological projects.
Recent public education campaigns have been effective in highlighting the plight of the Pawi and the local community in Grande Riviere is interested in developing ecotourism of the pawi and other wildlife in the area. Hunters interviewed in northeastern Trinidad often reported that they stopped hunting the bird after learning that it was endangered. Nevertheless, some illegal hunting may still occur.
Development of a captive breeding program has often been urged (e.g., King 1981, Collar et al. 1992) but has never been attempted. Such a program should be planned and implemented as soon as possible.

Characteristics

Large turkey-like bird (610 mm in length, wing length 350-363 mm). Body and wings are mostly glossy black with a large white patch on the wing coverts. Bill is bluish at the base, blackish at the tip. Large shaggy crest with a mixture of black and white feathers. Facial skin is bright pale blue; bare throat and fleshy wattle on throat dark blue. Legs are bright pinkish red.
Pawi are social birds, mostly seen in pairs but solitary birds or small groups (up to 5-6 individuals) also seen. Relatively sedentary; one flock of about a half dozen birds has been present in the same area for several decades, occupying a home range of about 19 hectares.
Arboreal; spend more than 90% of their time in the forest canopy and only rarely descend to the ground.
Eats leaves, vines, flowers, fruits and seeds from trees, such as the indigenous Bois canot (Cecropia peltata) and Cajuca (Virola surinamensis), as well as the introduced Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) and Mango (Mangifera indica).
Drinks water collected in epiphytic bromeliads (it is believed that they get most of their water from this source).