Rufous-headed Chachalaca vs Plain Chachalaca
Ortalis erythroptera compared with Ortalis vetula
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-headed Chachalaca | Plain Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis erythroptera | Ortalis vetula |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.8 cm (17.2 in) | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) |
| Weight | 632.5 g (22.31 oz) | 559.3333333333334 g (19.73 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Pacific slope forests and forest edges of … | Feeds primarily on fruits, berries, leaves, and flowers in scrub and forest edges. Also takes … |
| Clutch Size | 3 | 2-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Emits a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; individual calls are slightly higher than Rufous-vented. Dawn choruses carry across Ecuadorian and Peruvian coastal dry forest.
Plain Chachalaca
Groups produce a raucous, rhythmic cha-cha-LAC chorus at dawn; individual calls are loud, raspy croaking notes. Flocks create a deafening cacophony in Texas brush country and Mexican deciduous forest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Resident in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Found in tropical deciduous forest and scrub in the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena region.
Plain Chachalaca
Resident from southern Texas south through eastern Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. Found in brushy woodland and forest edges.
Conservation Status
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Plain Chachalaca
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Brownish-olive body; head and upper neck warm rufous-cinnamon, distinctly contrasting with greyish-brown back; bare reddish throat wattle; underparts pale buff; tail dark with pale outer tips.
Plain Chachalaca
Olive-brown above with greenish gloss on wings; grey head; bare red throat skin; underparts pale olive-grey; tail long, dark greenish-brown with white-tipped outer feathers.
About These Birds
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~630 g) of family Cracidae, with a striking rufous head. Inhabits humid and deciduous forests, forest edges, and scrub in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Feeds on fruits and leaves in the forest understory and canopy. Vulnerable due to extensive deforestation in the Tumbesian region, one of the world's most threatened biodiversity hotspots.
Plain Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~560 g) of family Cracidae, olive-brown with a bare red throat patch. Inhabits thickets, forest edges, and riparian woodlands from southern Texas through Mexico to Costa Rica. Social and noisy, roosting and foraging in groups on fruits, leaves, and seeds. Least Concern; extremely vocal at dawn with a raucous "cha-cha-lac" call.