Nocturnal Curassow vs Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Nothocrax urumutum compared with Ortalis ruficauda
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Nocturnal Curassow | Rufous-vented Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothocrax urumutum | Ortalis ruficauda |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 56.1 cm (22.1 in) | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Weight | 1368.0 g (48.25 oz) | 604.4 g (21.32 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and small invertebrates in Amazonian lowland forests. Nocturnal; rarely observed foraging. | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and small insects in Venezuelan forest edges, scrub, and coastal … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 3-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Nocturnal Curassow
Produces a loud, far-carrying booming call at night; calls are resonant and owl-like. This nocturnal curassow's deep, resonant booming is heard after dark in western Amazonian forest.
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
Nocturnal Curassow
Resident in the western Amazon Basin in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. Found in lowland terra firme rainforest.
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Resident in northern Venezuela and Trinidad. Found in dry forest, scrub, and woodland edges in lowland areas.
Conservation Status
Nocturnal Curassow
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
How to Tell Them Apart
Nocturnal Curassow
Chestnut-brown above with blackish scaling; head and neck dark with small black crest tipped rufous; face bare red-orange; underparts pale buff barred chestnut; tail chestnut broadly banded black.
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
Nocturnal Curassow
A medium-large cracid (~1.4 kg) of family Cracidae, the only curassow known for crepuscular and nocturnal activity. Has reddish-brown barred plumage and a small crest. Inhabits humid lowland rainforest in the western Amazon basin in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. Feeds on fruits and invertebrates. Least Concern; secretive behavior and dense forest habitat provide natural protection.
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.