Grey-headed chachalaca

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Grey-headed chachalaca
Ortalis cinereiceps -near Rancho Naturalista, Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica-8.jpg
At Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Cracidae
Genus: Ortalis
Species:
O. cinereiceps
Binomial name
Ortalis cinereiceps
Gray, GR, 1867
Ortalis cinereiceps map.svg

The grey-headed chachalaca (Ortalis cinereiceps) is a member of an ancient group of birds of the family Cracidae, which includes chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found from Honduras to Colombia. [2] [3]

Contents

Taxonomy and systematics

The family Cracidae is closely related to the guineafowl (Numididae), the pheasants, grouse and allies (Phasianidae), and the New World quail (Odontophoridae). [3] The grey-headed chachalaca was at one time treated as conspecific with the chestnut-winged chachalaca (Ortalis garrula). [4] [5] It is monotypic; several subspecies have been proposed and not accepted. [2] [5]

Gray-headed chachalacas displaying (Costa Rica) Gray-headed Chachalaca.jpg
Gray-headed chachalacas displaying (Costa Rica)

Description

The grey-headed chachalaca is a medium-sized bird, similar in general appearance to turkeys, with a small head, long strong legs, and a long broad tail. They are 48 to 58 cm (1.6 to 1.9 ft) long and weigh 490 to 540 g (1.1 to 1.2 lb). They have fairly dull plumage, grayish brown above and paler below. The head is dark grey with a red dewlap and the blackish tail is tipped with buff. Their primary flight feathers are bright chestnut. Juveniles are browner overall, especially on the head. [5]

Distribution and habitat

The grey-headed chachalaca is found from Mosquitia in eastern Honduras through eastern Nicaragua and most of Costa Rica and Panama into Colombia's Chocó Department. In addition to mainland Panama it occurs on Isla del Rey, where it might have been introduced by native Americans. It inhabits a variety of humid landscapes characterized by dense vegetation such as thickets, secondary forest, brushy abandoned fields, and thinned forests. It shuns the interior of dense forest though it can occur in their edges. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 1,700 m (5,600 ft). [5]

Behavior

Feeding

The grey-headed chachalaca forages typically in groups of six to 12 but sometimes up to 20, usually in the vegetation but sometimes on the ground. Its diet is about 75% fruit, 17% leaves, and 8% invertebrates. In the dry season it visits rivers to drink in the morning and evening. [5]

Breeding

The grey-headed chachalaca's egg-laying season spans at least January to May, which overlaps the dry season. Its broad shallow nest is built of twigs, vines, and other vegetation and placed 1 to 2.4 m (3 to 8 ft) above ground in a tree or bush and often screened by vines. The female lays three dull white eggs and incubates them alone. [5]

Vocalization

The grey-headed chachalaca is less noisy than plain (O. vetula) or rufous-vented chachalacas (O. ruficauda). Its song is a soft "cha-cha-lac-ah". Flocks give raucous calls described as "kloik, kleeuk kraahk". It also makes a variety of screams, sharp alarm calls, and a quiet purr. [5]

Status

The IUCN has assessed the grey-headed chachalaca as being of Least Concern. [1] It varies from fairly common to common throughout its range though in some areas the population has been significantly reduced by hunting. It adapts well to some habitat disturbance. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cracidae</span> Family of birds

The chachalacas, guans and curassows are birds in the family Cracidae. These are species of tropical and subtropical Central and South America. The range of one species, the plain chachalaca, just reaches southernmost parts of Texas in the United States. Two species, the Trinidad piping guan and the rufous-vented chachalaca occur on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The little chachalaca is a bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela and possibly Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-fronted piping guan</span> Species of bird

The black-fronted piping guan or jacutinga in Brazilian Portuguese is a bird in the chachalaca, guan, and curassow family Cracidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sickle-winged guan</span> Species of bird

The sickle-winged guan is a species of bird in the chachalaca, guan, and curassow family Cracidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvin's curassow</span> Species of bird

Salvin's curassow is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crestless curassow</span> Species of bird

The crestless curassow is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nocturnal curassow</span> Species of bird

The nocturnal curassow is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaco chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The Chaco chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and possibly Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-headed chachalaca</span> Species of bird

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-winged chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-winged chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is endemic to Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speckled chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The speckled chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-bellied chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The white-bellied chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buff-browed chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The buff-browed chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is endemic to Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-bellied chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The rufous-bellied chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is endemic to western Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed guan</span> Species of bird

The white-browed guan is a species of bird in the chachalaca, guan, and curassow family Cracidae. It is endemic to northeastern Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-throated piping guan</span> Species of bird

The red-throated piping guan is a species of bird in the chachalaca, guan, and curassow family Cracidae. It is found in Bolivia and Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Brazilian chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The East Brazilian chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is endemic to eastern Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scaled chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The scaled chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is endemic to Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-headed chachalaca</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-headed chachalaca is a bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is endemic to Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yungas guan</span> Species of bird

The Yungas guan is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in the Andean foothills of Argentina and Bolivia.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Grey-headed Chachalaca Ortalis cinereiceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (July 2021). "IOC World Bird List (v 11.2)" . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Winkler, D. W., S. M. Billerman, and I.J. Lovette (2020). Guans, Chachalacas, and Curassows (Cracidae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.cracid2.01 retrieved September 28, 2021
  4. ↑ Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 August 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved August 24, 2021
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 del Hoyo, J. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Gray-headed Chachalaca (Ortalis cinereiceps), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.grhcha1.01 retrieved September 28, 2021

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