Rufous-vented Chachalaca vs Dusky-legged Guan
Ortalis ruficauda compared with Penelope obscura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-vented Chachalaca | Dusky-legged Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis ruficauda | Penelope obscura |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) | 61.9 cm (24.4 in) |
| Weight | 604.4 g (21.32 oz) | 1530.0 g (53.97 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and small insects in Venezuelan forest edges, scrub, and coastal … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and flowers in South American Atlantic forest and Araucaria forest. … |
| Clutch Size | 3-4 | 2-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Produces a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; individual notes are slightly harsher than Plain Chachalaca. Dawn choruses ring across Venezuelan and Trinidadian dry forest and forest edge.
Dusky-legged Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and strong wing-whirring display. The deep, carrying call echoes through southern South American subtropical and humid forest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Resident in northern Venezuela and Trinidad. Found in dry forest, scrub, and woodland edges in lowland areas.
Dusky-legged Guan
Resident in southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. Found in Atlantic Forest and gallery woodland.
Conservation Status
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Dusky-legged Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Olive-brown above; grey head; bare reddish throat; underparts buff-grey grading to rich rufous-cinnamon on vent and undertail coverts; tail dark brown with buff-tipped outer feathers.
Dusky-legged Guan
Dark brownish-olive above; dark grey legs; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast streaked pale; lower underparts rufous-chestnut; tail dark. Dusky legs distinguish it from similar Spix's Guan.
About These Birds
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~605 g) of family Cracidae, with rufous undertail coverts and a bare red throat. Found in forest edges, thorn scrub, and deciduous woodland in Venezuela and Trinidad. Forages in groups for fruits, seeds, and leaves. Least Concern; a familiar bird in Venezuela, adapted to disturbed habitats and gardens as well as natural scrublands.
Dusky-legged Guan
A large cracid (~1.5 kg) of family Cracidae, with dark legs, olive-brown plumage, and a red wattle. Found in Atlantic Forest and subtropical forests of southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, and Uruguay. Arboreal frugivore. Least Concern; one of the most common guans in southeastern South America and increasingly tolerant of forest fragments.