About the Scaled Chachalaca
The scaled chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is endemic to Brazil.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The scaled chachalaca is about 50 cm (1.6 ft) long. One male weighed about 620 g (1.4 lb) and a female 498 g (1.1 lb). Its plumage is mostly shades of brown, darker on the upperside. The breast is also dark brown with pale feather edges that give a scalloped or scaly effect. The belly is buffy and the vent chestnut. It has a small pinkish throat patch. The bare skin around the dark eye is slate gray. Voice: The scaled chachalaca's song is "a raucous, very noisy but highly variable 'racket', given in duet or chorus from multiple individuals, cacataPOOP, cacataPOP, cacataWHUMP, cacataWEEcata on pitch." It also makes "an irregular but sometimes rhythmic cackling or throaty bubbling, cuhcuh-cuhCAHcuhcuhcucCAH cuhcuhcuhcuh...."
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Scaled Chachalaca lives
When to see the Scaled Chachalaca
Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Rufous-headed ChachalacaOrtalis erythropteraThe rufous-headed chachalaca is 56 to 66 cm (1.8 to 2.2 ft) long and weighs 620 to 645 g (1.4 to 1.4 lb).
Chestnut-winged ChachalacaOrtalis garrulaThe chestnut-winged chachalaca is 53 to 60 cm (1.7 to 2.0 ft) long.
Little ChachalacaOrtalis motmotThe little chachalaca is 43 to 54 cm (1.4 to 1.8 ft) long and weighs 345 to 620 g (0.76 to 1.4 lb).
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