It inhabits lowland, riverine, humid forest and várzea. Studies indicate that this species is closely linked to water; individuals are rarely ever found more than 250-300 m from the edge of rivers or lakes (R. MacLeod in litt. 2007, 2010; Hill et al. 2008, Luna-Maira et al. 2013). It forages in small groups on inundated ground for small fish, insects, aquatic crustaceans and other small animals, or in the canopy and subcanopy layer for fruit (Hennessey 1999, Bennett 2000, del Hoyo et al. 2020).

Crax globulosa was formerly widespread in upper Amazonia (west Brazil, south Colombia, east Ecuador, east Peru and north Bolivia), but is now restricted to a small number of scattered, disjunct localities within its range.
In Colombia is is known from two sites at Isla Mocagua on the río Amazonas and on some islands in the río Caquetá near the Brazilian border (Renjifo et al. 2014). It was reportedly fairly common on the río Apaporis near Chiriquibete National Park (J. Estudillo López verbally 1994), but recent surveys have not found the species (P. von Hildebrand verbally 1999). It is moreover recorded near the confluence of the ríos Javarí and Amazonas in Peru and Brazil. In Peru, it further occurs along the Amazonas near Iquitos, as well as on the ríos Marañón and Ucayali (SERFOR 2018). In Brazil it is recorded near the ríos Solimões, Juruá, Purus and Javari, with no recent records from río Madeira (ICMBio 2018). In Bolivia the only known population is along a tributary of the río Beni, where it has been in decline since the 1940s but persists in the Takana III Indigenous Territory (Armonía Bolivia 2022). Its range has contracted greatly, and it has probably been extirpated from Ecuador, where it was last recorded in 1982 (Freile et al. 2019, del Hoyo et al. 2020).

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES III in Colombia. It is listed as Endangered at the national level in Colombia (Renjifo et al. 2014) and Brazil (ICMBio 2018), as Critically Endangered in Bolivia (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Agua 2009) and Peru (SERFOR 2018) and as Possibly Extinct in Ecuador (Freile et al. 2019). It occurs in a small number protected areas throughout its range, including the Mamirauá, Amanã and Uacari Sustainable Development Reserves, Brazil (IMCBio 2018), Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru (Begazo and Valqui 1998), and Takana III Indigenous Reserve, Bolivia (Armonía Bolivia 2022). In Bolivia, a temporary hunting ban to secure the future of local hunting stocks has reportedly contributed to population recovery (Hennessey 1999). Moreover, awareness campaigns among local communities in Bolivia and Colombia have greatly reduced hunting pressure and logging activities in areas where the species occurs (Renjifo et al. 2014, Armonía Bolivia 2022). Armonía Bolivia is further working on building capacity among local communities to provide alternative livelihoods and establish a community-based ecotourism project, among others (Armonía Bolivia 2022). A number of captive breeding birds exist in zoos (Brooks and Strahl 2000).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Carry out detailed population surveys throughout its range to allow accurate, up-to-date estimations of the remaining national populations. Interview local hunters to refine the known distribution and relate this to human and environmental variables (Santos 1997-1998, Hennessey 1999). Research its ecology. Survey the species' strongholds to monitor the population trend.
Designate protected areas where the species occurs. Ensure active protection of known populations. Consider establishing a captive breeding programme (Collar and Butchart 2013, Alvarez-Prada and Ruiz-García 2015, ICMBio 2018). Continue working with local communities and extent education programmes to to encourage further uptake of sustainable hunting practices (Hennessey 1999, Bennett 2000). Promote ecotourism.