Razor-billed Curassow vs Grey-headed Chachalaca
Mitu tuberosum compared with Ortalis cinereiceps
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Razor-billed Curassow | Grey-headed Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu tuberosum | Ortalis cinereiceps |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 77.1 cm (30.4 in) | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) |
| Weight | 2893.3333333333335 g (102.06 oz) | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fruits, palm fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in Amazonian lowland forests. Forages mainly on ground … | Frugivorous and folivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, and buds in Central American forest edges and … |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Razor-billed Curassow
Emits a deep, resonant booming call; male's boom is among the most powerful of any cracid. The thundering boom echoes far through western Amazonian terra firme 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
Razor-billed Curassow
Resident across much of the Amazon Basin from Colombia and Venezuela south to Bolivia and Brazil. Found in lowland and várzea rainforest.
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Resident from Honduras south through Central America to Panama and northwestern Colombia. Found in humid forest and dense vegetation.
Conservation Status
Razor-billed Curassow
Grey-headed Chachalaca
How to Tell Them Apart
Razor-billed Curassow
Glossy blue-black overall; white lower belly and undertail coverts; distinctive laterally compressed blade-like red bill with small red knob at base; no crest; legs 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
Razor-billed Curassow
A large cracid (~2.9 kg) of family Cracidae, named for its laterally compressed, razor-like red bill. Inhabits lowland Amazonian rainforest in central and eastern Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. Forages on the forest floor and in the canopy for hard seeds and fruits. Near Threatened due to intensive hunting for food and sport throughout the Amazon basin.
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.