Rufous-bellied Chachalaca vs White-winged Guan
Ortalis wagleri compared with Penelope albipennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-bellied Chachalaca | White-winged Guan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis wagleri | Penelope albipennis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) | 63.5 cm (25.0 in) |
| Weight | 834.0 g (29.42 oz) | 1675.0 g (59.08 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and small invertebrates in Mexican thorn scrub and deciduous … | Eats fruits, berries, seeds, and leaves in Peruvian dry forest. Critically endangered; forages in canopy … |
| Clutch Size | 3 | 2-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Produces a loud, deep raucous chorus; the lowest-pitched Ortalis chachalaca call. The deep, resonant cha-cha-LAC booms across Mexican Pacific slope deciduous forest at dawn.
White-winged Guan
Emits a loud, resonant honking cackle and wing-whirring. Endangered; deep, resonant calls are seldom heard now across Peruvian dry forest; wing-whirring display persists.
Geographic Range & Migration
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Endemic to the Pacific coast of western Mexico from Sinaloa to Colima. Found in tropical dry forest and thorn scrub.
White-winged Guan
Endemic to arid valleys in northwestern Peru (Tumbes and Piura). Found in dry forest remnants. Critically endangered.
Conservation Status
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
White-winged Guan
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Olive-brown above; head grey with bare reddish throat; underparts strongly washed rufous-buff becoming deep rufous on belly and flanks; graduated tail dark brown with pale-tipped outer feathers.
White-winged Guan
Dark brownish-black body; outer wing coverts white forming bold white patch visible in flight and at rest; bare reddish throat; breast finely streaked white; lower belly rufous; tail dark.
About These Birds
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
A larger chachalaca (~834 g) of family Cracidae, with a rufous wash on the underparts. Endemic to the Pacific slope of northwestern Mexico, from Sonora to Jalisco. Inhabits tropical dry forest, thorn scrub, and deciduous woodland. Forages in groups on fruits, seeds, and insects. Least Concern; range restricted to the Mexican Pacific coast but populations remain stable.
White-winged Guan
A large cracid (~1.7 kg) of family Cracidae, with distinctive white primary feathers visible in flight. Endemic to dry forests of the Tumbes region in northwestern Peru. Inhabits deciduous and semi-humid forests in ravines and hillsides. Arboreal frugivore. Endangered; rediscovered in 1977 after being presumed extinct, with ongoing conservation through captive breeding and habitat protection.