Rufous-headed Chachalaca vs Chestnut-bellied Guan
Ortalis erythroptera compared with Penelope ochrogaster
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-headed Chachalaca | Chestnut-bellied Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis erythroptera | Penelope ochrogaster |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.8 cm (17.2 in) | 64.1 cm (25.2 in) |
| Weight | 632.5 g (22.31 oz) | 1214.5 g (42.84 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Pacific slope forests and forest edges of … | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Brazilian Cerrado and gallery forests. Vulnerable species. |
| Clutch Size | 3 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Rufous-headed Chachalaca only
Chestnut-bellied Guan only
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.
Chestnut-bellied Guan
Produces a loud, resonant honking cackle and wing-whirring display flights. Calls carry through Brazilian interior forest; classified Vulnerable due to habitat loss.
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.
Chestnut-bellied Guan
Endemic to central Brazil in the cerrado of Goiás and Mato Grosso. Found in dry forest and cerrado woodland near gallery forest.
Conservation Status
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Chestnut-bellied 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.
Chestnut-bellied Guan
Dark brownish-black above; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast streaked white on dark; belly and flanks rich uniform chestnut-orange, more saturated than most Penelope guans; tail dark.
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.
Chestnut-bellied Guan
A large cracid (~1.2 kg) of family Cracidae, with rich chestnut-colored belly and red throat wattle. Endemic to the cerrado and transitional forests of central Brazil. Inhabits gallery forests, cerrado woodland, and humid forest patches. Feeds on fruits and seeds. Vulnerable due to massive cerrado deforestation; restricted to increasingly fragmented habitats in the Brazilian interior.