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The destruction of tropical forests and hunting pressure act together, leading to population reduction of large frugivores. The largest frugivorous bird that still persists in the Atlantic Forest of Bahia is Crax blumenbachii (red-billed curassow), endemic to this biome and classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. We aimed to describe the forest structure of some Atlantic Forest remnants where the species still occurs or where it has not been recorded for years. We measured 14 variables related to the forest structure of 15 forest patches in southern Bahia located within the distribution area of Crax blumenbachii. We used Principal Component Analysis to summarize the forest structure variables in two dimensions. Areas where curassows still occur presented tall and thin tree trunks, high density of fallen logs and high volume of leaf litter. Areas where curassows have not been recorded, areas where the species occurred prior to 2007, presented dense understorey, low density of fallen logs and low volume of leaf litter. Forest structure data is useful to help on the selection of future areas for the reintroduction or population reinforcement, as well as to guide habitat management aiming to make them more suitable for a population establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]