Grey-headed Chachalaca vs Crested Guan
Ortalis cinereiceps compared with Penelope purpurascens
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey-headed Chachalaca | Crested Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis cinereiceps | Penelope purpurascens |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) | 75.9 cm (29.9 in) |
| Weight | 566.5 g (19.98 oz) | 1939.5 g (68.41 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 Central and South American lowland and foothill … |
| Clutch Size | 3 | 2-3 |
| 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.
Crested Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and sustained wing-whirring display. The resonant honk carries through Central American and northern South American tropical forest canopy.
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.
Crested Guan
Resident from Mexico and Central America south to western Ecuador and Venezuela at sea level to 2,400 m. Found in humid forest.
Conservation Status
Grey-headed Chachalaca
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.
Crested Guan
Dark brownish-black with purplish gloss; prominent erectile dark crest; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast finely streaked white; lower belly rufous-chestnut; tail long and dark.
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.
Crested Guan
A large cracid (~1.9 kg) of family Cracidae, with a shaggy crest, red wattle, and dark plumage with white streaking. Inhabits lowland and montane humid forests from Mexico to western Ecuador and Venezuela. Arboreal frugivore; also takes leaves and invertebrates. Near Threatened due to deforestation and hunting across Central America and South America.