The species occupies tall lowland patches of Atlantic Rainforest, where it prefers undisturbed sites in close proximity to streams and water (Bernardo 2020). It may also tolerate disturbed habitats including old secondary and regenerating forest (K. M. Flesher in litt. 2012, Alves et al. 2017b). The diet consists of fruit, buds, seeds and arthropods. It may be polygamous, but this observation may result from differential hunting pressure between the sexes. Males boom mainly in September-October with young hatching in the next couple of months. Typically two (range 1-4) eggs are laid.

Crax blumenbachii was formerly widespread in east Brazil, from Bahia south through Espírito Santo and east Minas Gerais to Rio de Janeiro. Intense hunting pressure and large-scale habitat loss have led to its being restricted to a small number of disjunct sites: The species' stronghold is in the Sooretama Biological Reserve and the adjacent Vale Natural Reserve in Linhares, Espírito Santo (ICMBio 2018). Small populations are further observed in Descubrimento National Park, Una Biological Reserve and Serra do Conduru State Park, Bahia (ICMBio 2018). 
There have been no confirmed records of wild birds from Rio de Janeiro since 1963 and none from Minas Gerais since the 1970s; however, captive-bred individuals were reintroduced to Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve in Rio de Janeiro and to Fazenda Macedônia, Peti Reserve and Fechos Ecological Station in Minas Gerais (Silveira et al. 2005, Bernardo 2007, Bernardo and Locke 2014, ICMBio 2018).

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I and protected under Brazilian law. Populations are largely restricted to protected areas now. Over 600 individuals were held in zoos and breeding centres in 2010 (Silveira et al. 2005, Phalan et al. 2020). Since the first releases in 1991, four reintroduction projects have taken place in Minas Gerais (at Fazenda Macedônia, Peti Reserve and Fechos Ecological Station) (Scheres 1993, Simpson et al. 1997, Silveira et al. 2005), where introduced birds are periodically monitored, have a high survival rate and are breeding successfully (Simpson et al. 1997, Brooks and Strahl 2000). In Rio de Janeiro state reintroductions began in 2006 at Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve in the Guapi Assu basin (Bernardo 2007). Birds here are radio-tagged and their survival and movements are monitored (Bernardo et al. 2011). Post-release survival probability is high (75%), though lower (60%) when taking into account deaths before release (Bernardo et al. 2011). An action plan for ex situ conservation of the species has identified the need to expand the captive population and increase collaboration between breeding centres to establish a structured breeding programme (Phalan et al. 2020).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey known populations to obtain recent population estimates. Quantify the impact of hunting. Monitor the population trend.
Create private reserves protecting forest remnants within the species' range. Ensure the de facto protection of all reserves with known populations. Patrol reserves to prevent hunting and trapping. Continue the reintroduction programme. Identify further potential reintroduction sites, continue long-term monitoring of released individuals and ensure effective protection of localities selected for reintroduction. Manage captive stocks to avoid loss of genetic diversity, increasing the number of institutions breeding the species and integrating all captive populations within a common management and breeding protocol. Establish environmental education programmes in communities living around protected areas, focusing these on the issue of hunting.