Grey-headed Chachalaca vs Scaled Chachalaca
Ortalis cinereiceps compared with Ortalis squamata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey-headed Chachalaca | Scaled Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis cinereiceps | Ortalis squamata |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) | 41.2 cm (16.2 in) |
| Weight | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) | 559.0 g (19.72 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous and folivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, and buds in Central American forest edges and … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Atlantic forest edges and secondary growth of southeastern … |
| Clutch Size | 3 | 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.
Scaled Chachalaca
Produces a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; calls are slightly deeper than East Brazilian Chachalaca. Groups call from treetops in southeastern Brazilian Atlantic forest edge at dawn.
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.
Scaled Chachalaca
Resident in southeastern Brazil from Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul. Found in Atlantic Forest and gallery woodland.
Conservation Status
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Scaled 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.
Scaled Chachalaca
Olive-brown above; grey head; bare reddish throat; breast and flanks prominently scaled with dark feather edges creating scalloped pattern; tail dark with pale-tipped outer feathers.
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.
Scaled Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~560 g) of family Cracidae, with scaly patterning on the neck and upper breast. Endemic to southeastern Brazil, inhabiting Atlantic Forest and its edges, humid lowland forests, and secondary vegetation. Forages in groups for fruits and seeds in the forest canopy. Least Concern; restricted to one of the world's most threatened biomes but adaptable to degraded habitats.