Grey-headed Chachalaca vs White-crested Guan
Ortalis cinereiceps compared with Penelope pileata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey-headed Chachalaca | White-crested Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis cinereiceps | Penelope pileata |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) | 64.4 cm (25.4 in) |
| Weight | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) | 1305.0 g (46.03 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous and folivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, and buds in Central American forest edges and … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Brazilian Amazonian and transition forests. Forages in canopy … |
| 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.
White-crested Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and powerful wing-whirring. Calls carry through the remaining Amazonian rainforest; wing-whirring display is sustained and audible from afar.
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.
White-crested Guan
Endemic to central and western Amazonian Brazil in Pará and Amazonas. Found in tall terra firme rainforest.
Conservation Status
Grey-headed Chachalaca
White-crested 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.
White-crested Guan
Dark brownish-black; striking white bushy crest on crown; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast streaked white; lower belly rufous; tail dark. White crest is the unmistakable feature.
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.
White-crested Guan
A large cracid (~1.3 kg) of family Cracidae, with a distinctive white crest on the crown. Endemic to the eastern Amazon basin in central and northeastern Brazil. Inhabits humid terra firme and várzea forests. Arboreal frugivore, feeding on fruits and seeds in the canopy. Vulnerable due to ongoing deforestation and hunting in the Amazon; relies on intact primary forest.