La Yacutinga (Pipile jacutinga) en el noreste de Argentina: relevamientos acústicos para determinar su distribución actual

Daniela Zaffignani; Tomás Di Cosmo; Martjan Lammertink

doi:10.56178/eh.v41i2.1547

Articles Published 08 October 2026 https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v41i2.1547

The Black-fronted Piping-Guan (Pipile jacutinga) in northeastern Argentina: acoustic surveys to determine its current distribution

Atlantic Forest bioacoustics Corrientes Cracidae Misiones Neotropics

Daniela Zaffignani Instituto de Limnología ‘Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet’, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2Pujol 2852, Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentin

Tomás Di Cosmo Pujol 2852, Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Martjan Lammertink Instituto de Biología Subtropical, CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina | Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, Países Bajos

Abstract

The Black-fronted Piping-Guan (Pipile jacutinga), endemic to the Atlantic Forest, is considered one of the most threatened cracid species in the world and is extinct across much of its original range. Previous surveys of the Black-fronted Piping-Guan in Misiones, Argentina, were conducted mainly from streams or along their margins. Between 2021 and 2024, we surveyed 320 points in native forest from northern Misiones to northern Corrientes, Argentina. We accessed the points overland and without establishing them in relation to distance from streams. At each point, we carried out two 85-minute counts around dawn, one in person and one replicate using autonomous recorders. In total, we found nine Black-fronted Piping-Guan individuals at six points. We detected the species mainly through the mechanical wing-beating sound produced just before dawn. Detections were concentrated in north-central Misiones, in an area of only 60 × 20 km. Unlike previous studies, we found the Black-fronted Piping-Guan in areas without hunting control and far from navigable streams, at mean distances of 2351 m (range 286-4600 m), indicating that population surveys should include areas far from major streams. The results confirm the scarcity of this species. We highlight the potential reservoir for the species in the Piray Guazú stream basin. We show that in the study area, passive acoustic surveys are a useful tool for detecting the species, especially when directed at dawn, the period during which wing-beating appears to be most common, at least during winter and early spring.

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References

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Arana MD, Natale E, Ferretti N, Romano G, Oggero A, Martínez G, Posadas P, Morrone J (2021) Esquema Biogeográfico de la República Argentina. Fundación Miguel Lillo. Opera Lilloana 56:1-240
Benstead PJ, Hearn RD, Jeffs CJS, Callaghan DA, Calo J, Gil G, Johnson AE, Stagi Nedelcoff AR (1993) Pato Serrucho 93: an expedition to assess the current status of the Brazilian Merganser Mergus octosetaceus in North-east Argentina. Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, UK
Bodrati A, Cockle K (2006) Habitat, distribution, and conservation of Atlantic Forest birds in Argentina: notes on nine rare or threatened species. Ornitología Neotropical 17(2):243-258
Chebez JC (1985) Nuestras Aves Amenazadas: La Yacutinga (Aburria jacutinga). Nuestras Aves 7:16-17. https://doi.org/10.56178/na.vi7.1154
Chebez JC (2008). Los que se van. Editorial Albatros, Buenos Aires
Cockle KL, Bodrati A (2011) Situación de la Yacutinga (Aburria jacutinga) en Argentina. Bulletin of the Cracid Specialist Group 31:12-21
Darras K, Batáry P, Furnas B, Celis-Murillo A, Van Wilgenburg SL, Mulyani YA, Tscharntke T (2018) Comparing the sampling performance of sound recorders versus point counts in bird surveys: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Ecology 55(6):2575-2586. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13229
Darras K, Batáry P, Furnas BJ, Grass I, Mulyani YA, Tscharntke T (2019) Autonomous sound recording outperforms human observation for sampling birds: A systematic map and user guide. Ecological Applications 29(6):e01954. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1954
de Araújo CB, Jardim M, Saturnino N, dos SF, Rosa GM, Lima MR, dos Anjos L (2021) The optimal listening period for an effective assessment of bird richness and composition: a case study of Neotropical forest. Journal of Ornithology 162:303-306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-020-01812-6
de Araújo CB, Lima MR, Albuquerque P, Alquezar RD, Barreiros M, Jardim M, Gangenova E, Machado RB, Phalan BT, Roos AL, Rosa GLM, Saturnino N, Simões CR, Torres IM D, Varela D, Zurano JP, Marques PAM, Dos Anjos L (2024) Acoustic monitoring of anurans and birds in tropical biomes. Biotropica 56(3):e13307. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13307
de Souza LDCD, Tassoni Pereira A, Azevedo CS, São Bernardo CS, Develey PF, Ruiz-Miranda CR (2020). Reproductive and agonistic behaviors of Black-fronted Piping Guans candidates for release and reintroduced (Galliformes: Cracidae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Oecologia Australis 24(04):791-802. https://doi.org/10.4257/oeco.2020.2404.04
del Hoyo J, Kirwan GM, Sharpe CJ (2020) Black-fronted Piping-Guan (Pipile jacutinga), version 1.0. En: del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie DA, de Juana E (eds) Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.bfpgua1.01
Drake A, De Zwaan DR, Altamirano TA, Wilson S, Hick K, Bravo C, Ibarra JT, Martin K (2021) Combining point counts and autonomous recording units improves avian survey efficacy across elevational gradients on two continents. Ecology and Evolution 11 (13):8654-8682. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7678
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EcoRegistros (2024) Base de datos de registros de la comunidad. Accedido de [URL: https://www.ecoregistros.org] (20/02/2026)
Fariña R (2021) Plan para la Conservación de la Yacutinga en la Argentina. Resultados del taller de diagnóstico y consensos de trabajo. Aves Argentinas, Asociación Ornitológica del Plata y Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de la Provincia de Misiones. Pto. Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina
Frommolt KH, Tauchert KH, Koch M (2008) Advantages and disadvantages of acoustic monitoring of birds – realistic scenarios for automated bioacoustic monitoring in a densely populated region. En: Frommolt KH, Bardeli R, Clausen M (eds) Computational bioacoustics for assessing biodiversity. Proceedings of the International Expert meeting on IT-based detection of bioacoustical patterns. BfN-Skripten, Alemania. Pp. 83-92
Galetti M, Martuscelli P, Olmos F, Aleixo A (1997) Ecology and conservation of the jacutinga Pipile jacutinga in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. Biological Conservation 82(1):31-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(97)00004-9
Gil GE (2022) Propuesta de áreas claves para la biodiversidad en la provincia de Misiones. 1a ed. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Aves Argentinas
Hoefer S, McKnight DT, Allen-Ankins S, Nordberg EJ, Schwarzkopf L (2023) Passive acoustic monitoring in terrestrial vertebrates: a review. Bioacoustics 32(5):506-531. https://doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2023.2209052
IUCN (2025) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Versión 2025-2. [URL: https://www.iucnredlist.org] (01/03/2026)
Lambert KTA, McDonald PG (2014) A low-cost, yet simple and highly repeatable system for acoustically surveying cryptic species. Austral Ecology 39(7):779-785. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12143
Lammertink M, Fernández JM (2022) Home range patterns of Helmeted Woodpecker (Celeus galeatus), Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus), and Robust Woodpecker (Campephilus robustus) in Misiones, Argentina, in a global perspective. Avian Conservation and Ecology 17(2):art34. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02277-170234
Lima DM, Sousa AEBA, Araujo HFP (2025) Temporal variation in the detection of endangered birds in the Northern Atlantic Forest. Zoologia (Curitiba) 42:e24019. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-4689.v42.e24019
MapBiomas Project (2025) Collection 3.0 of the Annual Land Use Land Cover Maps of Brazil. [URL: https://plataforma.bosqueatlantico.mapbiomas.org/] (8/11/2024)
Marques MCM, Grelle CEV (Eds.) (2021) The Atlantic Forest: History, Biodiversity, Threats and Opportunities of the Mega-diverse Forest. Springer International Publishing, Cham, Suiza. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55322-7
MAyDS & AA (2017) Categorización de las Aves de la Argentina según su estado de conservación. Informe del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable de la Nación y de Aves Argentinas
Paccagnella SG, Filho RA, Lara AI, Neto PS (1994) Observações sobre Pipile jacutinga spix, 1825 (Aves, Cracidae) no Parque Estadual de Carlos Botelho, São Paulo, Brasil. Iheringia (Série Zoologia) 76(1):29-32
QGIS (2024) QGIS Geographic Information System. QGIS Association
Sedláček O, Vokurková J, Ferenc M, Djomo EN, Albrecht T, Hořák D (2015). A comparison of point counts with a new acoustic sampling method: A case study of a bird community from the montane forests of Mount Cameroon. Ostrich 86(3):213-220. https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2015.1049669
Short LL (1971) Aves nuevas o poco comunes de Corrientes. Revista del Museo de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia (Zoología) 9(11):283-309
Sick H (1997) Ornitologia brasileira. 2a ed. Editora Nova Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro. Pp. 862
Silva Bautista MA (2023) Bioacústica de Aburria jacutinga (SPIX, 1825) Estructura del repertorio acústico y actividad vocal en el Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Brasil. Trabajo de Conclusión de Curso, Instituto Latino-Americano de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Naturaleza, Foz do Iguaçu
Vale MM, Tourinho L, Lorini ML, Rajão H, Figueiredo MSL (2018) Endemic birds of the Atlantic Forest: traits, conservation status, and patterns of biodiversity. Journal of Field Ornithology 89(3):193-206. https://doi.org/10.1111/jofo.12256

How to cite

Daniela Zaffignani, Tomás Di Cosmo, Martjan Lammertink (2026). The Black-fronted Piping-Guan (Pipile jacutinga) in northeastern Argentina: acoustic surveys to determine its current distribution. El Hornero, Vol. 41 No. 2 (2026). https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v41i2.1547

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License: CC BY-NC 4.0

[1] Acevedo MA, Villanueva-Rivera LJ (2006) Using Automated Digital Recording Systems as Effective Tools for the Monitoring of Birds and Amphibians. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34(1):211-214. https://doi.org/10.2193/0091-7648(2006)34%255B211:UADRSA%255D2.0.CO;2

[2] Arana MD, Natale E, Ferretti N, Romano G, Oggero A, Martínez G, Posadas P, Morrone J (2021) Esquema Biogeográfico de la República Argentina. Fundación Miguel Lillo. Opera Lilloana 56:1-240

[3] Benstead PJ, Hearn RD, Jeffs CJS, Callaghan DA, Calo J, Gil G, Johnson AE, Stagi Nedelcoff AR (1993) Pato Serrucho 93: an expedition to assess the current status of the Brazilian Merganser Mergus octosetaceus in North-east Argentina. Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, UK

[4] Bodrati A, Cockle K (2006) Habitat, distribution, and conservation of Atlantic Forest birds in Argentina: notes on nine rare or threatened species. Ornitología Neotropical 17(2):243-258

[5] Chebez JC (1985) Nuestras Aves Amenazadas: La Yacutinga (Aburria jacutinga). Nuestras Aves 7:16-17. https://doi.org/10.56178/na.vi7.1154

[6] Chebez JC (2008). Los que se van. Editorial Albatros, Buenos Aires

[7] Cockle KL, Bodrati A (2011) Situación de la Yacutinga (Aburria jacutinga) en Argentina. Bulletin of the Cracid Specialist Group 31:12-21

[8] Darras K, Batáry P, Furnas B, Celis-Murillo A, Van Wilgenburg SL, Mulyani YA, Tscharntke T (2018) Comparing the sampling performance of sound recorders versus point counts in bird surveys: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Ecology 55(6):2575-2586. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13229

[9] Darras K, Batáry P, Furnas BJ, Grass I, Mulyani YA, Tscharntke T (2019) Autonomous sound recording outperforms human observation for sampling birds: A systematic map and user guide. Ecological Applications 29(6):e01954. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1954

[10] de Araújo CB, Jardim M, Saturnino N, dos SF, Rosa GM, Lima MR, dos Anjos L (2021) The optimal listening period for an effective assessment of bird richness and composition: a case study of Neotropical forest. Journal of Ornithology 162:303-306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-020-01812-6

[11] de Araújo CB, Lima MR, Albuquerque P, Alquezar RD, Barreiros M, Jardim M, Gangenova E, Machado RB, Phalan BT, Roos AL, Rosa GLM, Saturnino N, Simões CR, Torres IM D, Varela D, Zurano JP, Marques PAM, Dos Anjos L (2024) Acoustic monitoring of anurans and birds in tropical biomes. Biotropica 56(3):e13307. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13307

[12] de Souza LDCD, Tassoni Pereira A, Azevedo CS, São Bernardo CS, Develey PF, Ruiz-Miranda CR (2020). Reproductive and agonistic behaviors of Black-fronted Piping Guans candidates for release and reintroduced (Galliformes: Cracidae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Oecologia Australis 24(04):791-802. https://doi.org/10.4257/oeco.2020.2404.04

[13] del Hoyo J, Kirwan GM, Sharpe CJ (2020) Black-fronted Piping-Guan (Pipile jacutinga), version 1.0. En: del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie DA, de Juana E (eds) Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.bfpgua1.01

[14] Drake A, De Zwaan DR, Altamirano TA, Wilson S, Hick K, Bravo C, Ibarra JT, Martin K (2021) Combining point counts and autonomous recording units improves avian survey efficacy across elevational gradients on two continents. Ecology and Evolution 11 (13):8654-8682. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7678

[15] eBird (2021) eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. [URL: http://www.ebird.org] (20/02/2026)

[16] EcoRegistros (2024) Base de datos de registros de la comunidad. Accedido de [URL: https://www.ecoregistros.org] (20/02/2026)

[17] Fariña R (2021) Plan para la Conservación de la Yacutinga en la Argentina. Resultados del taller de diagnóstico y consensos de trabajo. Aves Argentinas, Asociación Ornitológica del Plata y Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de la Provincia de Misiones. Pto. Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina

[18] Frommolt KH, Tauchert KH, Koch M (2008) Advantages and disadvantages of acoustic monitoring of birds – realistic scenarios for automated bioacoustic monitoring in a densely populated region. En: Frommolt KH, Bardeli R, Clausen M (eds) Computational bioacoustics for assessing biodiversity. Proceedings of the International Expert meeting on IT-based detection of bioacoustical patterns. BfN-Skripten, Alemania. Pp. 83-92

[19] Galetti M, Martuscelli P, Olmos F, Aleixo A (1997) Ecology and conservation of the jacutinga Pipile jacutinga in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. Biological Conservation 82(1):31-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(97)00004-9

[20] Gil GE (2022) Propuesta de áreas claves para la biodiversidad en la provincia de Misiones. 1a ed. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Aves Argentinas

[21] Hoefer S, McKnight DT, Allen-Ankins S, Nordberg EJ, Schwarzkopf L (2023) Passive acoustic monitoring in terrestrial vertebrates: a review. Bioacoustics 32(5):506-531. https://doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2023.2209052

[22] IUCN (2025) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Versión 2025-2. [URL: https://www.iucnredlist.org] (01/03/2026)

[23] Lambert KTA, McDonald PG (2014) A low-cost, yet simple and highly repeatable system for acoustically surveying cryptic species. Austral Ecology 39(7):779-785. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12143

[24] Lammertink M, Fernández JM (2022) Home range patterns of Helmeted Woodpecker (Celeus galeatus), Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus), and Robust Woodpecker (Campephilus robustus) in Misiones, Argentina, in a global perspective. Avian Conservation and Ecology 17(2):art34. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02277-170234

[25] Lima DM, Sousa AEBA, Araujo HFP (2025) Temporal variation in the detection of endangered birds in the Northern Atlantic Forest. Zoologia (Curitiba) 42:e24019. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-4689.v42.e24019

[26] MapBiomas Project (2025) Collection 3.0 of the Annual Land Use Land Cover Maps of Brazil. [URL: https://plataforma.bosqueatlantico.mapbiomas.org/] (8/11/2024)

[27] Marques MCM, Grelle CEV (Eds.) (2021) The Atlantic Forest: History, Biodiversity, Threats and Opportunities of the Mega-diverse Forest. Springer International Publishing, Cham, Suiza. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55322-7

[28] MAyDS & AA (2017) Categorización de las Aves de la Argentina según su estado de conservación. Informe del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable de la Nación y de Aves Argentinas

[29] Paccagnella SG, Filho RA, Lara AI, Neto PS (1994) Observações sobre Pipile jacutinga spix, 1825 (Aves, Cracidae) no Parque Estadual de Carlos Botelho, São Paulo, Brasil. Iheringia (Série Zoologia) 76(1):29-32

[30] QGIS (2024) QGIS Geographic Information System. QGIS Association

[31] Sedláček O, Vokurková J, Ferenc M, Djomo EN, Albrecht T, Hořák D (2015). A comparison of point counts with a new acoustic sampling method: A case study of a bird community from the montane forests of Mount Cameroon. Ostrich 86(3):213-220. https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2015.1049669

[32] Short LL (1971) Aves nuevas o poco comunes de Corrientes. Revista del Museo de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia (Zoología) 9(11):283-309

[33] Sick H (1997) Ornitologia brasileira. 2a ed. Editora Nova Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro. Pp. 862

[34] Silva Bautista MA (2023) Bioacústica de Aburria jacutinga (SPIX, 1825) Estructura del repertorio acústico y actividad vocal en el Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Brasil. Trabajo de Conclusión de Curso, Instituto Latino-Americano de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Naturaleza, Foz do Iguaçu

[35] Vale MM, Tourinho L, Lorini ML, Rajão H, Figueiredo MSL (2018) Endemic birds of the Atlantic Forest: traits, conservation status, and patterns of biodiversity. Journal of Field Ornithology 89(3):193-206. https://doi.org/10.1111/jofo.12256