Salvin's Curassow vs Grey-headed Chachalaca
Mitu salvini compared with Ortalis cinereiceps
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Salvin's Curassow | Grey-headed Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu salvini | Ortalis cinereiceps |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 73.3 cm (28.9 in) | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) |
| Weight | 3550.0 g (125.22 oz) | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and small invertebrates on the ground and in the lower canopy … | Frugivorous and folivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, and buds in Central American forest edges and … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Salvin's Curassow
Produces a deep, resonant booming call. Calls carry through Colombian and Ecuadorian Amazonian forest; the deep boom is the standard territorial call of the Mitu curassow genus.
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Produces a loud, raucous cha-cha-lac chorus at dawn; individual notes are hoarser and lower than Plain Chachalaca. Groups call antiphonally from treetops in Central American forest edge.
Geographic Range & Migration
Salvin's Curassow
Resident in the Amazon Basin of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. Found in lowland and foothill rainforest along rivers.
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Resident from Honduras south through Central America to Panama and northwestern Colombia. Found in humid forest and dense vegetation.
Conservation Status
Salvin's Curassow
Grey-headed Chachalaca
How to Tell Them Apart
Salvin's Curassow
Glossy black overall; lower belly and vent white; large compressed red bill with pale yellow tip; no crest or knob. Virtually identical to Crestless Curassow; white lower belly and red …
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Olive-brown body; head and neck distinctly grey contrasting with brownish back; bare reddish throat skin; underparts pale buff-grey; tail graduated, brown with paler tips on outer feathers.
About These Birds
Salvin's Curassow
A large cracid (~3.6 kg) of family Cracidae, with glossy black plumage and a swollen red bill. Inhabits lowland tropical forests east of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and northwestern Brazil. Forages primarily on the forest floor and in low vegetation for fallen fruits and seeds. Least Concern; range covers extensive Amazonian forest but is vulnerable to local hunting pressure.
Grey-headed Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~565 g) of family Cracidae, with a distinctive grey head and olive-brown body. Inhabits humid tropical forests, forest edges, and scrublands from Honduras south to northwestern Colombia. Forages in groups for fruits, berries, leaves, and insects in the understory and canopy. Least Concern; common throughout its range in Central American lowlands.