How big is a Colombian Chachalaca?

The Colombian Chachalaca is a large sized bird weighing about 548 g.

Where can you see a Colombian Chachalaca?

The Colombian Chachalaca is endemic to Colombia, which is the only country where it occurs.

What does a Colombian Chachalaca sound like?

You can listen to a field recording of the Colombian Chachalaca on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.

What birds look similar to a Colombian Chachalaca?

The Colombian Chachalaca is most easily confused with the Speckled Chachalaca, the Chaco Chachalaca and the Rufous-vented Chachalaca.

Is the Colombian Chachalaca endangered?

The Colombian Chachalaca is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Colombian Chachalaca

Ortalis columbiana

Guans, Curassows, and Chachalacas · Galliformes · Uncommon

The Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana) is a uncommon guans, curassows, and chachalaca found only in Colombia, weighing about 548 g. The Colombian chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae.

Least ConcernUncommonEndemicEats fruitshrublandplatform nest548 g

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 1 — Photo: (c) Christoph Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christoph Moning · cc-by

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 2 — Photo: Josh Noseworthy · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 3 — Photo: Álvaro Rivas Godin · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 4 — Photo: EstebanMH · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 5 — Photo: EstebanMH · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 6 — Photo: EstebanMH · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 7 — Photo: Kristiina Hurme · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 8 — Photo: Kristiina Hurme · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 9 — Photo: Catalina Ayala · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana), photo 10 — Photo: Catalina Ayala · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the Colombian Chachalaca

The Colombian chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae. It is endemic to the forests and woodlands in the inter-Andean valleys in Colombia. Colombian chachalacas are frugivorous and lead an arboreal lifestyle. The large seeds they disperse through defecation support the maintenance of diverse tropical forests.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The Colombian chachalaca is a typical Ortalis species – a large, plump forest bird with a long slender neck, small head, long and robust legs (tarsi) and a long tail. Size. Adults of this species have a length of 50–60 cm. The average wing length is 22.5 cm (males)/ 19.6 cm (females), and the average tail length is 25 and 24 cm respectively. Tarsi average 6 cm (males) and 5.8 cm (females). Adult bird have a typical mass of 600g (male), and 500g (female). Appearance. Similar/identical for both sexes. The upperparts are mostly brown, shading to greyish-brown on the primaries and secondaries.

What the Colombian Chachalaca sounds like

Recording: Eduardo Rudas Burgos · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Colombia

When to see it

The Colombian Chachalaca can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Colombian Chachalaca?: The Colombian chachalaca is a typical Ortalis species – a large, plump forest bird with a long slender neck, small head, long and robust legs (tarsi) and a long tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Colombian Chachalaca?: The Colombian Chachalaca is a large sized bird weighing about 548 g.
Where can you see a Colombian Chachalaca?: The Colombian Chachalaca is endemic to Colombia, which is the only country where it occurs.
What does a Colombian Chachalaca sound like?: You can listen to a field recording of the Colombian Chachalaca on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
What birds look similar to a Colombian Chachalaca?: The Colombian Chachalaca is most easily confused with the Speckled Chachalaca, the Chaco Chachalaca and the Rufous-vented Chachalaca.
Is the Colombian Chachalaca endangered?: The Colombian Chachalaca is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Colombian Chachalaca for real

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