White-bellied Chachalaca vs Andean Guan
Ortalis leucogastra compared with Penelope montagnii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-bellied Chachalaca | Andean Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis leucogastra | Penelope montagnii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.7 cm (16.4 in) | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 499.5 g (17.62 oz) | 650.0 g (22.93 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Central American forest edges and scrubby second-growth … | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean cloud forests. Forages at all levels … |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
White-bellied Chachalaca
Emits a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; individual call is slightly higher and thinner. Dawn choruses ring across Central American Pacific slope forest and scrub.
Andean Guan
Emits deep, resonant honking calls and loud wing-whirring display flights. Andean cloud forest echoes with both calls and wing-whirring at dawn across multiple Penelope guans.
Geographic Range & Migration
White-bellied Chachalaca
Resident in Central America from Mexico south to Nicaragua. Found in tropical dry and humid forests and forest edges.
Andean Guan
Resident in the Andes from Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia at 1,500-3,600 m. Found in humid cloud forest and montane scrub.
Conservation Status
White-bellied Chachalaca
Andean Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
White-bellied Chachalaca
Olive-brown upperparts; grey head with bare reddish throat; underparts strikingly white-bellied, contrasting sharply with brownish sides; tail dark with white tips on outer feathers.
Andean Guan
Dark olive-brown above; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast streaked white on dark background; lower belly and flanks rufous-chestnut; tail dark with slight gloss.
About These Birds
White-bellied Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~500 g) of family Cracidae, distinguished by pale whitish underparts. Found in Pacific lowland forests, scrub, and forest edges from southern Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica. Forages in noisy flocks on fruits, buds, and seeds in the forest canopy and edges. Least Concern; thrives in disturbed habitats and secondary growth across its Central American range.
Andean Guan
A medium-sized cracid (~650 g) of family Cracidae, with dull brown-olive plumage and a bare red throat wattle. Inhabits Andean cloud forests and forest edges from Venezuela south to Bolivia at elevations of 1,200–3,500 m. Feeds on fruits, seeds, and invertebrates. Least Concern; widespread in montane Andes and one of the more commonly encountered Penelope guans.