About Anhima cornuta (Linnaeus, 1766)
The horned screamer, with the scientific name Anhima cornuta (Linnaeus, 1766), is a massive bird measuring 84–95 cm (33–37.5 in) long and weighing 3.5 kg (7.7 lb). It has a small chicken-like bill. Its upperparts, head, and breast are black, with white speckles on the crown, throat, and wing coverts. A long spiny structure projects forward from the crown. This structure is unique among birds, and it is not derived from a feather. It is a cornified structure loosely attached to the skull that grows continuously and often breaks at its tip, and this structure gives the species its common name. This bird has very long lanky legs and three large toes on each foot. The belly and under wing coverts are white. It has two sharp spurs on its wings, and its feet are only partially webbed. The horned screamer inhabits lowlands across Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana. It has possibly been extirpated from Trinidad. Despite local population declines, it remains widespread and fairly common overall. Its range in Brazil appears to have expanded in recent years.
