Grey-headed Chachalaca vs Helmeted Curassow
Ortalis cinereiceps compared with Pauxi pauxi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey-headed Chachalaca | Helmeted Curassow |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis cinereiceps | Pauxi pauxi |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) | 75.9 cm (29.9 in) |
| Weight | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) | 3150.0 g (111.11 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous and folivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, and buds in Central American forest edges and … | Eats large seeds, fruits, and small invertebrates on the forest floor in Venezuelan and Colombian … |
| Clutch Size | 3 | 2 |
| 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.
Helmeted Curassow
Produces a deep, far-carrying booming call and guttural contact calls. The powerful boom echoes through Colombian and Venezuelan montane forest; contact calls are deep, resonant clucks.
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.
Helmeted Curassow
Resident in the Andes foothills of Venezuela and Colombia at 200-1,500 m. Found in humid lowland and foothill forest. Vulnerable.
Conservation Status
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Helmeted Curassow
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.
Helmeted Curassow
Glossy black throughout; white lower belly and vent; spectacular large grey-blue casque on forehead; red bill; no crest; legs red. The grey-blue helmet-like casque is unmistakable and unique.
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.
Helmeted Curassow
A large cracid (~3.2 kg) of family Cracidae, bearing a remarkable light blue casque on the forehead. Inhabits humid montane forests of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela at 600–2,000 m elevation. Forages on the forest floor for fallen fruits, seeds, and invertebrates. Vulnerable due to deforestation of Andean forests and heavy hunting pressure for its substantial meat.