Salvin's Curassow vs Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Mitu salvini compared with Ortalis ruficauda
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Salvin's Curassow | Rufous-vented Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu salvini | Ortalis ruficauda |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 73.3 cm (28.9 in) | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Weight | 3550.0 g (125.22 oz) | 604.4 g (21.32 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and small invertebrates on the ground and in the lower canopy … | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and small insects in Venezuelan forest edges, scrub, and coastal … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 3-4 |
| 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.
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Produces a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; individual notes are slightly harsher than Plain Chachalaca. Dawn choruses ring across Venezuelan and Trinidadian dry forest and 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.
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Resident in northern Venezuela and Trinidad. Found in dry forest, scrub, and woodland edges in lowland areas.
Conservation Status
Salvin's Curassow
Rufous-vented 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 …
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Olive-brown above; grey head; bare reddish throat; underparts buff-grey grading to rich rufous-cinnamon on vent and undertail coverts; tail dark brown with buff-tipped 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.
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~605 g) of family Cracidae, with rufous undertail coverts and a bare red throat. Found in forest edges, thorn scrub, and deciduous woodland in Venezuela and Trinidad. Forages in groups for fruits, seeds, and leaves. Least Concern; a familiar bird in Venezuela, adapted to disturbed habitats and gardens as well as natural scrublands.