Rufous-headed Chachalaca vs Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Ortalis erythroptera compared with Ortalis wagleri
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-headed Chachalaca | Rufous-bellied Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis erythroptera | Ortalis wagleri |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.8 cm (17.2 in) | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 632.5 g (22.31 oz) | 834.0 g (29.42 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Pacific slope forests and forest edges of … | Feeds on fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and small invertebrates in Mexican thorn scrub and deciduous … |
| Clutch Size | 3 | 3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Rufous-headed Chachalaca only
None
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca only
None
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.
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Produces a loud, deep raucous chorus; the lowest-pitched Ortalis chachalaca call. The deep, resonant cha-cha-LAC booms across Mexican Pacific slope deciduous forest at dawn.
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.
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Endemic to the Pacific coast of western Mexico from Sinaloa to Colima. Found in tropical dry forest and thorn scrub.
Conservation Status
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Rufous-bellied 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.
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Olive-brown above; head grey with bare reddish throat; underparts strongly washed rufous-buff becoming deep rufous on belly and flanks; graduated tail dark brown with pale-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.
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
A larger chachalaca (~834 g) of family Cracidae, with a rufous wash on the underparts. Endemic to the Pacific slope of northwestern Mexico, from Sonora to Jalisco. Inhabits tropical dry forest, thorn scrub, and deciduous woodland. Forages in groups on fruits, seeds, and insects. Least Concern; range restricted to the Mexican Pacific coast but populations remain stable.