Ortalis vetula
The Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) is a medium-sized, somewhat pheasant-like bird, measuring 48-58 cm (19-23 in) in length with a weight typically ranging from 400-800 g (0.88-1.76 lb). Its plumage is a dull olive-brown on the upperparts, transitioning to a grayish head and neck, and paler, often rufous, undertail coverts. A prominent field mark is its long, dark tail, which is broadly tipped with buffy-white, and the bare, reddish gular skin (throat pouch) visible on adult males during vo...
Found in dense thickets, thorny scrub, woodland edges, and riparian forests, typically at low to mid-elevations from sea level up to 1800 meters.
Their diet is predominantly vegetarian, consisting mainly of various fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and flowers, supplemented with small amounts of insects and snails. They forage by gleaning from branches and occasionally by scratching through leaf litter on the ground.
Plain Chachalacas are primarily arboreal but will readily descend to the ground to forage, displaying diurnal activity patterns. They roost communally in trees, often in dense tangles, and are known for their extremely loud, raucous vocalizations, especially at dawn and dusk, which serve to annou...
The Plain Chachalaca is a resident species, distributed across a broad swath of Central America and southern North America. Its primary range extends from extreme southern Texas, USA, southward through eastern and southern Mexico, encompassing the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador...
Least Concern
- The Plain Chachalaca's name is onomatopoeic, derived directly from its loud, distinctive 'cha-cha-lac-a' call, often given in a communal chorus. - Despite their rather plain appearance, they possess a hidden patch of bare, reddish skin on their throat (gular pouch) that becomes more prominent a...