Grey-headed Chachalaca vs Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Ortalis cinereiceps compared with Ortalis ruficeps
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey-headed Chachalaca | Rufous-headed Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis cinereiceps | Ortalis ruficeps |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) | — |
| Weight | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) | 495.0 g (17.46 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 northeastern Brazilian caatinga and forest edges. |
| Clutch Size | 3 | -- |
| 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.
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Emits a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; individual calls are slightly raspy. Dawn choruses ring across Brazilian interior forest and cerrado; recently described species.
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.
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Resident in northeastern Brazil from Maranhão to Bahia. Found in caatinga dry scrub and transitional forest.
Conservation Status
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Rufous-headed 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.
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Olive-brown body; crown and nape washed rufous-cinnamon; bare pink throat skin; underparts pale grey-buff; tail dark brownish with buff outer-feather tips. Similar to O. erythroptera but head less intensely rufous.
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.
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~495 g) of family Cracidae, with a rufous crown and head. Endemic to northeastern Brazil, primarily found in caatinga scrubland and dry forest habitats. Forages on fruits and vegetation in small groups. Not Evaluated by IUCN; taxonomy is debated as it may represent a subspecies or synonym of related chachalaca taxa. Little studied in the wild.