Rufous-headed Chachalaca vs Band-tailed Guan
Ortalis erythroptera compared with Penelope argyrotis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-headed Chachalaca | Band-tailed Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis erythroptera | Penelope argyrotis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.8 cm (17.2 in) | 52.8 cm (20.8 in) |
| Weight | 632.5 g (22.31 oz) | 798.0 g (28.15 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Pacific slope forests and forest edges of … | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean forests of Venezuela and Colombia. … |
| Clutch Size | 3 | -- |
| 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.
Band-tailed Guan
Produces a loud, honking cackle and resonant wing-whirring in display flights. The deep, carrying honk and wing-whirr display is characteristic of this Andean Penelope guan.
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.
Band-tailed Guan
Resident in the Andes and mountains of Colombia and Venezuela from 1,000-2,400 m. Found in humid montane forest.
Conservation Status
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Band-tailed Guan
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.
Band-tailed Guan
Brownish-black above with fine white streaking on neck and chest; bare red facial skin; lower underparts chestnut; tail broad with distinctive pale grey subterminal band.
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.
Band-tailed Guan
A medium-sized cracid (~800 g) of family Cracidae, with a distinctive pale-tipped tail band. Inhabits montane humid forests in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Andes of Colombia and Venezuela. Arboreal, feeding on fruits, seeds, and buds in the canopy. Least Concern; restricted to Andean cloud forest but common within its range and tolerates some forest disturbance.