Plain Chachalaca
Ortalis vetula
The Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) is a common guans, curassows, and chachalaca found in 8 countries, weighing about 563 g. The plain chachalaca is a large bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family Cracidae.
About the Plain Chachalaca
The plain chachalaca is a large bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family Cracidae. It breeds in tropical and subtropical environments from mezquital thickets in the Rio Grande Valley in southernmost Texas, United States to northernmost Costa Rica. In Central America, this species occurs in the Pacific lowlands from Chiapas, Mexico to northern Nicaragua and as a separate population in Costa Rica, where its range is separated by a short distance, as a disjunct population.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The plain chachalaca is a medium-sized galliform, around the size of a common pheasant. It measures 48–58 cm (19–23 in) in length, and varies in weight from 468–794 g (16.5–28.0 oz) for males and 439–707 g (15.5–24.9 oz)in females Males are on average larger but because of overlap that isn't diagnostic of sex, and in appearance they are the same. It is long-necked with a small head and bare throat patch which becomes deep red in both sexes during the breeding season. Adults have a greyish head and neck with a dull olive-brown body and wings.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Plain Chachalaca?
- The plain chachalaca is a medium-sized galliform, around the size of a common pheasant. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Plain Chachalaca?
- The Plain Chachalaca is a large sized bird weighing about 563 g.
- Where can you see a Plain Chachalaca?
- The Plain Chachalaca occurs in 8 countries, including the United States, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.
- What birds look similar to a Plain Chachalaca?
- The Plain Chachalaca is most easily confused with the Grey-headed Chachalaca, the Colombian Chachalaca and the Speckled Chachalaca.
- Is the Plain Chachalaca endangered?
- The Plain Chachalaca is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Plain Chachalaca for real
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