Rufous-headed Chachalaca vs White-crested Guan
Ortalis erythroptera compared with Penelope pileata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-headed Chachalaca | White-crested Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis erythroptera | Penelope pileata |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.8 cm (17.2 in) | 64.4 cm (25.4 in) |
| Weight | 632.5 g (22.31 oz) | 1305.0 g (46.03 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Pacific slope forests and forest edges of … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Brazilian Amazonian and transition forests. Forages in canopy … |
| Clutch Size | 3 | 3-4 |
| 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.
White-crested Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and powerful wing-whirring. Calls carry through the remaining Amazonian rainforest; wing-whirring display is sustained and audible from afar.
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.
White-crested Guan
Endemic to central and western Amazonian Brazil in Pará and Amazonas. Found in tall terra firme rainforest.
Conservation Status
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
White-crested 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.
White-crested Guan
Dark brownish-black; striking white bushy crest on crown; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast streaked white; lower belly rufous; tail dark. White crest is the unmistakable feature.
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.
White-crested Guan
A large cracid (~1.3 kg) of family Cracidae, with a distinctive white crest on the crown. Endemic to the eastern Amazon basin in central and northeastern Brazil. Inhabits humid terra firme and várzea forests. Arboreal frugivore, feeding on fruits and seeds in the canopy. Vulnerable due to ongoing deforestation and hunting in the Amazon; relies on intact primary forest.