Rufous-headed Chachalaca vs Andean Guan
Ortalis ruficeps compared with Penelope montagnii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-headed Chachalaca | Andean Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis ruficeps | Penelope montagnii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | — | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 495.0 g (17.46 oz) | 650.0 g (22.93 oz) |
| Diet | Frugivorous; eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in northeastern Brazilian caatinga and forest edges. | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean cloud forests. Forages at all levels … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Emits a loud, raucous chachalaca chorus; individual calls are slightly raspy. Dawn choruses ring across Brazilian interior forest and cerrado; recently described species.
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
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Resident in northeastern Brazil from Maranhão to Bahia. Found in caatinga dry scrub and transitional forest.
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
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Andean Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
Olive-brown body; crown and nape washed rufous-cinnamon; bare pink throat skin; underparts pale grey-buff; tail dark brownish with buff outer-feather tips. Similar to O. erythroptera but head less intensely rufous.
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
Rufous-headed Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~495 g) of family Cracidae, with a rufous crown and head. Endemic to northeastern Brazil, primarily found in caatinga scrubland and dry forest habitats. Forages on fruits and vegetation in small groups. Not Evaluated by IUCN; taxonomy is debated as it may represent a subspecies or synonym of related chachalaca taxa. Little studied in the wild.
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.