Grey-headed Chachalaca vs Bearded Guan
Ortalis cinereiceps compared with Penelope barbata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey-headed Chachalaca | Bearded Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis cinereiceps | Penelope barbata |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) | 48.4 cm (19.1 in) |
| Weight | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) | 822.8 g (29.02 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous and folivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, and buds in Central American forest edges and … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and flowers in Andean cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru. … |
| 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.
Bearded Guan
Emits a loud, deep honking cackle and produces wing-whirring in display. Calls are resonant; the wing-whirr display is loud and penetrating in Ecuadorian and Peruvian cloud forest.
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.
Bearded Guan
Resident in the Andes of southern Ecuador and northern Peru at 1,800-3,400 m. Found in humid montane forest.
Conservation Status
Grey-headed Chachalaca
Bearded Guan
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.
Bearded Guan
Dark olive-brown above; throat with bare red skin and feathered lower edge resembling beard; neck and breast finely streaked white on dark brown; lower belly rufous-chestnut; tail dark brown.
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.
Bearded Guan
A medium-sized cracid (~820 g) of family Cracidae, with a small red-wattled throat pouch. Inhabits montane cloud forests in the Andes of southern Ecuador and northern Peru at 1,500–3,000 m elevation. Feeds arboreally on fruits, seeds, and buds. Near Threatened due to ongoing deforestation and hunting; dependent on intact Andean cloud forest which continues to be cleared.