Colombian Chachalaca vs West Mexican Chachalaca
Ortalis columbiana compared with Ortalis poliocephala
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Colombian Chachalaca | West Mexican Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis columbiana | Ortalis poliocephala |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 45.1 cm (17.8 in) | 52.0 cm (20.5 in) |
| Weight | 486.6666666666667 g (17.17 oz) | 760.0 g (26.81 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Colombian dry forest edges and scrubby thickets. | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in West Mexican scrub and forest edges. Also … |
| Clutch Size | 3-4 | 2-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Colombian Chachalaca
Emits a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; Colombian highland calls are slightly harsher. Dawn choruses ring across Andean foothills and humid forest edge in Colombia.
West Mexican Chachalaca
Emits a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; individual calls are slightly lower than Plain Chachalaca. Dawn choruses boom across Mexico's Pacific slope thornscrub and tropical dry forest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Colombian Chachalaca
Endemic to the Magdalena Valley and Caribbean slopes of Colombia. Found in dry and humid tropical forest.
West Mexican Chachalaca
Endemic to the Pacific coast of Mexico from Sonora south to Jalisco. Found in tropical dry forest and thorn scrub.
Conservation Status
Colombian Chachalaca
West Mexican Chachalaca
How to Tell Them Apart
Colombian Chachalaca
Dull olive-brown above; head grey; bare pink-red throat; underparts pale grey-buff with slight olive wash on flanks; tail dark greenish-brown with whitish tips on outer rectrices.
West Mexican Chachalaca
Olive-brown above with greyish head; bare reddish throat skin; underparts pale grey with buff-olive flanks; tail long and dark brown with white tips on outer feathers. Overall paler than eastern …
About These Birds
Colombian Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~487 g) of family Cracidae, endemic to the Cauca and Magdalena river valleys of Colombia. Inhabits dry forest edges, gallery woodlands, and scrubby vegetation at low to mid elevations. Forages in social groups for fruits, seeds, and leaves. Least Concern; though endemic to Colombia, it is common within its restricted range and adapts to modified habitats.
West Mexican Chachalaca
A large chachalaca (~760 g) of family Cracidae, with a grey head and brownish body. Endemic to Mexico, inhabiting tropical dry and semi-deciduous forests of the Pacific coast from Jalisco to Oaxaca. Forages in groups for fruits, leaves, and seeds in forest canopy and understory. Least Concern; well adapted to secondary growth and forest edges throughout its restricted Mexican range.