Plain Chachalaca vs Andean Guan
Ortalis vetula compared with Penelope montagnii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Plain Chachalaca | Andean Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis vetula | Penelope montagnii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 559.3333333333334 g (19.73 oz) | 650.0 g (22.93 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds primarily on fruits, berries, leaves, and flowers in scrub and forest edges. Also takes … | Eats fruits, berries, leaves, flowers, and buds in Andean cloud forests. Forages at all levels … |
| Clutch Size | 2-4 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Plain Chachalaca
Groups produce a raucous, rhythmic cha-cha-LAC chorus at dawn; individual calls are loud, raspy croaking notes. Flocks create a deafening cacophony in Texas brush country and Mexican deciduous forest.
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
Plain Chachalaca
Resident from southern Texas south through eastern Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. Found in brushy woodland 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
Plain Chachalaca
Andean Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Plain Chachalaca
Olive-brown above with greenish gloss on wings; grey head; bare red throat skin; underparts pale olive-grey; tail long, dark greenish-brown with white-tipped 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
Plain Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~560 g) of family Cracidae, olive-brown with a bare red throat patch. Inhabits thickets, forest edges, and riparian woodlands from southern Texas through Mexico to Costa Rica. Social and noisy, roosting and foraging in groups on fruits, leaves, and seeds. Least Concern; extremely vocal at dawn with a raucous "cha-cha-lac" call.
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.