Trumpeters: Psophiidae

Trumpeters are found in northern South America, including portions of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.

Trumpeters live in areas of tropical rainforests where there are many trees and little ground cover. Because they are primarily fruit eaters, their habitats generally have many fruit trees.

Trumpeters eat primarily fruit, with their favorites being soft fruits with thin skins. Trumpeters rely largely on monkeys to knock fruit onto the ground, since they are not able to fly up to high trees themselves. They also take advantage of fruits that grow on low bushes. Trumpeters also eat large numbers of insects off the forest floor, particularly beetles, ants, and termites. On occasion they will also eat larger animals, such as small snakes.

Trumpeters interact with humans in a variety of ways. They are kept as pets in some parts of their range. Some people use trumpeters in chicken coops to alert humans when there are snakes. Trumpeters are also hunted for food in some areas. Because trumpeters tend to stay with their group, even in the face of danger, they often make easy targets for hunters.

Trumpeters are not considered threatened. However, because their rainforest habitats are being destroyed in many parts of their range, and because trumpeters require large territories in order to find enough food, many populations are declining. In addition, some of the monkey species which trumpeters depend on to obtain fruit are in trouble because of habitat loss and hunting. This is harming trumpeter populations as well.