Ortalis guttata
The Speckled Chachalaca (Ortalis guttata) is a medium-sized, slender game bird within the Cracidae family, known for its long tail, small head, and distinctive vocalizations. Averaging 49-55 cm (19-22 inches) in length and weighing 400-620g (14-22 oz), its plumage features olive-brown upperparts contrasting with a rufous to cinnamon belly. Key identification marks include a grayish head and neck, often with faint white speckling, and a noticeable bare red gular patch on the throat. Its outer ...
This species primarily inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, secondary growth, and forest edges, often favoring riparian zones. It can be found from sea level up to approximately 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) in elevation.
Primarily frugivorous, consuming a wide variety of fruits and berries, they also eat leaves, flowers, seeds, and occasionally insects. They forage by gleaning from vegetation in the canopy and subcanopy.
The Speckled Chachalaca is a diurnal, highly social bird, most active during dawn and dusk when groups engage in their characteristic loud choruses; they roost communally in dense forest vegetation or tall trees. Foraging primarily arboreally, they move stealthily through the canopy and subcanopy...
The Speckled Chachalaca has a wide and stable distribution across the Amazon Basin and adjacent regions of South America. Its extensive breeding range spans southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, northern and eastern Bolivia, and much of western and southern Brazil, extending into ...
Least Concern
- The name "chachalaca" is onomatopoeic, derived directly from their loud, rhythmic calls that often sound like 'cha-cha-lac'. - Unlike many ground-dwelling game birds, Speckled Chachalacas spend most of their lives in trees, often foraging high in the canopy. - Their signature morning chorus can...