Rufous-headed Chachalaca (Ortalis erythroptera)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Rufous-headed Chachalaca

Ortalis erythroptera Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1870

56–66 cmLength632 gWeight

The rufous-headed chachalaca (Ortalis erythroptera) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows.

Busiest months: December–January · Most records: Ecuador, Colombia

Vulnerable

Where and when it's recorded

Rufous-headed Chachalaca has been recorded at 17 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Reserva Jorupe y Urraca LodgeEcuador1,093 records
  2. Reserva Buenaventura – Umbrellabird Lodge and lower roadEcuador833 records
  3. Buenaventura ReserveEcuador399 records
More places
  1. Ayampe – Ruta del ColibríEcuador369 records
  2. Jama-Coaque ReserveEcuador279 records
  3. Rancho AlemánEcuador218 records
  4. Finca MaragrícolaColombia182 records
  5. Bosque Protector Cerro BlancoEcuador156 records
  6. Ayampe – Estuario del río AyampeEcuador45 records
  7. RE Manglares-Churute – La LagarteraEcuador35 records

Countries and regions with the most records

EcuadorColombia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The rufous-headed chachalaca (Ortalis erythroptera) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Rufous-headed Chachalaca?

The Rufous-headed Chachalaca is about 56–66 cm long and weighs around 632 g.

Where does the Rufous-headed Chachalaca live?

Its breeding range: South America: western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. It is most often recorded in Ecuador and Colombia.

When is the best time to see the Rufous-headed Chachalaca?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and December (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Rufous-headed Chachalaca endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Rufous-headed Chachalaca as Vulnerable.

What does the Rufous-headed Chachalaca eat?

Main food: Fruit.

What family is the Rufous-headed Chachalaca in?

It belongs to the family Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans (Cracidae), order Galliformes.

At a glance

Length
56–66 cm
Weight
632 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Fruit
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Vulnerable
More measurements
Wing
219 mm
Tail
259 mm
Bill
32 mm
Tarsus
72 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

South America: western Ecuador and northwestern Peru

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Genus
Ortalis

Other birds in the genus Ortalis

Plain ChachalacaPlain ChachalacaOrtalis vetulaGrey-headed ChachalacaGrey-headed ChachalacaOrtalis cinereicepsChestnut-winged ChachalacaChestnut-winged ChachalacaOrtalis garrulaRufous-vented ChachalacaRufous-vented ChachalacaOrtalis ruficaudaRufous-bellied ChachalacaRufous-bellied ChachalacaOrtalis wagleriWest Mexican ChachalacaWest Mexican ChachalacaOrtalis poliocephalaChaco ChachalacaChaco ChachalacaOrtalis canicollisWhite-bellied ChachalacaWhite-bellied ChachalacaOrtalis leucogastraSpeckled ChachalacaSpeckled ChachalacaOrtalis guttataEast Brazilian ChachalacaEast Brazilian ChachalacaOrtalis araucuanScaled ChachalacaScaled ChachalacaOrtalis squamataColombian ChachalacaColombian ChachalacaOrtalis columbiana
Rufous-headed Chachalaca

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Roger Rittmaster. ↗

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