Rufous-vented Chachalaca vs White-crested Guan
Ortalis ruficauda compared with Penelope pileata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-vented Chachalaca | White-crested Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis ruficauda | Penelope pileata |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) | 64.4 cm (25.4 in) |
| Weight | 604.4 g (21.32 oz) | 1305.0 g (46.03 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and small insects in Venezuelan forest edges, scrub, and coastal … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Brazilian Amazonian and transition forests. Forages in canopy … |
| Clutch Size | 3-4 | 3-4 |
| 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.
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-vented Chachalaca
Resident in northern Venezuela and Trinidad. Found in dry forest, scrub, and woodland edges in lowland areas.
White-crested Guan
Endemic to central and western Amazonian Brazil in Pará and Amazonas. Found in tall terra firme rainforest.
Conservation Status
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
White-crested 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.
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-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.
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.