Alagoas Curassow vs Chestnut-winged Chachalaca
Mitu mitu compared with Ortalis garrula
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Alagoas Curassow | Chestnut-winged Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mitu mitu | Ortalis garrula |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Extinct in the Wild | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 79.2 cm (31.2 in) | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) |
| Weight | 2852.5 g (100.62 oz) | 639.0 g (22.54 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, seeds, and invertebrates in the ground and forest understorey. Extinct in wild; … | Feeds on fruits, berries, leaves, and flowers in Colombian forest edges and scrubby thickets. Also … |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Alagoas Curassow
Extirpated from wild (EW). Calls documented from captive birds: a deep, resonant booming similar to Razor-billed Curassow; flocks give low, guttural clucking contact calls.
Chestnut-winged Chachalaca
Emits a loud, raucous, repeated chachalaca chorus; individual call is a harsh, croaking caw-caw-cawk. Flocks call together from tree canopy at dawn in Colombian and Venezuelan coastal forest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Alagoas Curassow
Endemic to northeastern Brazil in Alagoas. Extinct in the wild; survives only in captivity. Last wild record was 1980s.
Chestnut-winged Chachalaca
Endemic to northern Colombia along the Caribbean slope. Found in humid tropical forest and forest edges.
Conservation Status
Alagoas Curassow
Chestnut-winged Chachalaca
How to Tell Them Apart
Alagoas Curassow
Glossy black body; white lower belly and undertail; massive compressed red bill with orange-yellow tip; no head ornamentation. Now extinct in wild; the large red razor bill was its most …
Chestnut-winged Chachalaca
Brownish-olive above; conspicuous chestnut-rufous wing panels visible in flight; grey head with bare reddish throat; underparts pale greyish-buff; graduated tail with white-tipped outer rectrices.
About These Birds
Alagoas Curassow
A large cracid (~2.9 kg) of family Cracidae, with glossy black plumage and a distinctive red knobbed bill. Extinct in the Wild; the last wild individuals disappeared from Alagoas, Brazil by the 1980s due to deforestation of the Atlantic Forest. A captive population survives in Brazilian zoos, with reintroduction programs underway. One of the most critically imperiled birds globally.
Chestnut-winged Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~640 g) of family Cracidae, identified by chestnut wing coloration visible in flight. Endemic to the Caribbean lowlands of northern Colombia. Inhabits forest edges, scrubby woodland, and second-growth vegetation near rivers. Feeds on fruits, seeds, and flowers in social groups. Least Concern; relatively restricted range but not considered threatened.