Grey-headed Chachalaca vs Colombian Chachalaca
Ortalis cinereiceps compared with Ortalis columbiana
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey-headed Chachalaca | Colombian Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis cinereiceps | Ortalis columbiana |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) | 45.1 cm (17.8 in) |
| Weight | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) | 486.6666666666667 g (17.17 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous and folivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, and buds in Central American forest edges and … | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Colombian dry forest edges and scrubby thickets. |
| Clutch Size | 3 | 3-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Colombian Chachalaca
Emits a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; Colombian highland calls are slightly harsher. Dawn choruses ring across Andean foothills and humid forest edge in Colombia.
Geographic Range & Migration
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Resident from Honduras south through Central America to Panama and northwestern Colombia. Found in humid forest and dense vegetation.
Colombian Chachalaca
Endemic to the Magdalena Valley and Caribbean slopes of Colombia. Found in dry and humid tropical forest.
Conservation Status
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Colombian Chachalaca
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Colombian Chachalaca
Dull olive-brown above; head grey; bare pink-red throat; underparts pale grey-buff with slight olive wash on flanks; tail dark greenish-brown with whitish tips on outer rectrices.
About These Birds
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.
Colombian Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~487 g) of family Cracidae, endemic to the Cauca and Magdalena river valleys of Colombia. Inhabits dry forest edges, gallery woodlands, and scrubby vegetation at low to mid elevations. Forages in social groups for fruits, seeds, and leaves. Least Concern; though endemic to Colombia, it is common within its restricted range and adapts to modified habitats.