Cracidae (redirected from Craciformes)

Cracidae [′kra·sə‚dē]

(vertebrate zoology)

A family of New World tropical upland game birds in the order Galliformes; includes the chachalacas, guans, and curassows.

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Cracidae 

a family of birds of the order Galliformes. Of large or medium size, the Cracidae have strong legs, long and curved tails, and short wings. Some have a pectinate crest and sometimes a fleshy cere. There are 44 species.

The Cracidae live in forests, spending most of the time on trees, where they build their nests and lay 2–3 white eggs at a time. They feed on fruits and insects. The Cracidae are found in America, from Mexico to northern Argentina. A well-known species is the crested curassow (Crax alector); the males are blue-black with white underparts, and the females have reddish underparts. The body measures 95 cm long. Cracidae are game birds.