Colombian Chachalaca

About the Colombian Chachalaca

The Colombian chachalaca (Ortalis columbiana) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae. It is endemic to the forests and woodlands in the inter-Andean valleys in Colombia. Colombian chachalacas are frugivorous and lead an arboreal lifestyle. The large seeds they disperse through defecation support the maintenance of diverse tropical forests.

The species was first formally described in 1906 by the Austrian ornithologist Carl Eduard Hellmayr. He based his observations on specimens in the Bavarian State Museum that had been obtained during Johann Baptist von Spix's 1817–1820 expedition to South America. Hellmayr noted significant differences in the plumage of two specimens that separated them from the Speckled chachalaca that von Spix had previously described.

All four taxonomic authorities recognize the Colombian chachalaca as a distinct species. It is generally considered to be monotypic, but some authorities recognize two subspecies: the nominate O. c. columbiana, native to the upper Magdalena River basin, and O. c. caucae, which is found in the Cauca River valley.

The Colombian chachalaca is a typical Ortalis species – a large, plump... Wikipedia →