Rufous-vented Chachalaca vs Crested Guan
Ortalis ruficauda compared with Penelope purpurascens
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-vented Chachalaca | Crested Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis ruficauda | Penelope purpurascens |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) | 75.9 cm (29.9 in) |
| Weight | 604.4 g (21.32 oz) | 1939.5 g (68.41 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 Central and South American lowland and foothill … |
| Clutch Size | 3-4 | 2-3 |
| 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.
Crested Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and sustained wing-whirring display. The resonant honk carries through Central American and northern South American tropical forest canopy.
Geographic Range & Migration
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Resident in northern Venezuela and Trinidad. Found in dry forest, scrub, and woodland edges in lowland areas.
Crested Guan
Resident from Mexico and Central America south to western Ecuador and Venezuela at sea level to 2,400 m. Found in humid forest.
Conservation Status
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
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.
Crested Guan
Dark brownish-black with purplish gloss; prominent erectile dark crest; bare red throat wattle; neck and breast finely streaked white; lower belly rufous-chestnut; tail long and dark.
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.
Crested Guan
A large cracid (~1.9 kg) of family Cracidae, with a shaggy crest, red wattle, and dark plumage with white streaking. Inhabits lowland and montane humid forests from Mexico to western Ecuador and Venezuela. Arboreal frugivore; also takes leaves and invertebrates. Near Threatened due to deforestation and hunting across Central America and South America.