Crestless Curassow vs Grey-headed Chachalaca
Mitu tomentosum compared with Ortalis cinereiceps
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Crestless Curassow | Grey-headed Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu tomentosum | Ortalis cinereiceps |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 72.9 cm (28.7 in) | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) |
| Weight | 2268.75 g (80.03 oz) | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in Amazonian lowland forests of Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. Forages … | 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
Crestless Curassow
Emits a deep, resonant booming call; male's voice is extraordinarily loud. The deep, far-carrying booms of displaying males echo through Amazonian and Orinoco forest at dawn.
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
Crestless Curassow
Resident in the Orinoco and Amazon Basins of Venezuela, Colombia, and northern Brazil. Found in lowland rainforest and forest edges.
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Resident from Honduras south through Central America to Panama and northwestern Colombia. Found in humid forest and dense vegetation.
Conservation Status
Crestless Curassow
Grey-headed Chachalaca
How to Tell Them Apart
Crestless Curassow
Glossy black above and on breast; lower belly and undertail coverts white; bill large and bright red; no crest. White belly and red bill against black plumage create strong contrast.
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
Crestless Curassow
A large cracid (~2.3 kg) of family Cracidae, with black plumage, white-tipped tail, and a red bill without a prominent crest. Inhabits lowland humid forests in the Orinoco and northern Amazon basins of Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. Forages on the forest floor and in the canopy for fruits and seeds. Least Concern with stable populations in remote forests.
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.