Voice
During breeding season, male sings low, ventriloquial droning boom, like groan of old tree, 6-10 four-part drones per minute. Alarm call a soft, repeated 'tzsuk'.
Helmeted Curassow (Pauxi pauxi) [XC202360]
by Rosendo Manuel Fraga from Henri Pittier NP, Aragua, Venezuela (call)
Helmeted Curassow (Pauxi pauxi) [XC466733]
by id from Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, Aragua, Venezuela (call)
Subspecies
Both members of genus have been placed, together with those of Mitu, and less often Nothocrax, in Crax. Forms superspecies with Horned Curassow (Pauxi unicornis), which has been considered a subspecies of present species. Subspecies gilliardi has sometimes been considered specifically distinct, but differences very slight.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
pauxi (Linnaeus, 1766) - North-central and western Venezuela through Andes of Mérida across border into northernmost eastern Andes of Colombia.
gilliardi Wetmore & Phelps, 1943 - Sierra de Perijá, occurring on both sides of Venezuelan Colombian border.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet