[2] It was first discovered in 1969, when a male and female were recovered (unfortunately the female specimen was accidentally eaten),[3] and was not recorded by scientists again until 2000 and 2003, when local Asháninka people were shown pictures of the birds and respectively 1 and 14 people recalled having seen or hunted them in the past few years.

[8][9] This position was subsequently rejected by Charles Vaurie who argued that P. pauxi and P. unicornis were not conspecific.

When Weske and Terborgh discovered the subspecies koepckeae they concluded pauxi and unicornis should be considered separate species, which has been followed by all subsequent authors.

Just two years later Charles Vaurie opposed this 'lumping' of species and argued that Pauxi, Mitu, Crax and Nothocrax should each be their own genera.

[8] Not content with either of these two options Delacour and Amadon suggested that Pauxi and Mitu should indeed be grouped with Crax, but that Nothocrax was distinct enough to be its on genus.

[10] A study from 2011 suggests that P. koepckeae be raised to species status as opposed to subspecies based on vocal, behavioural, ecological, and morphological differences.

[7] The Sira curassow is listed as critically endangered by BirdLife International for the IUCN as they believe it is threatened by habitat destruction and is hunted for meat.

[1] According to BirdLife International, the greatest threat to the species is occasional traditional hunting by the local Asháninka people.