Rufous-headed Chachalaca

About the Rufous-headed Chachalaca

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. The rufous-headed chachalaca is monotypic.

The rufous-headed chachalaca is 56 to 66 cm (1.8 to 2.2 ft) long and weighs 620 to 645 g (1.4 to 1.4 lb). It has a rufous head and neck and gray-brown back. The central tail feathers are dark gray and the outer ones gray near the body and chestnut on their outer halves. The lower breast and belly are creamy white. The primary flight feathers are bright chestnut. Its brown eye is surrounded by bare bluish gray skin. The legs are pale blue.

The rufous-headed chachalaca is found in extreme southwestern Colombia, extreme northwestern Peru, and in several small to medium-sized areas in western Ecuador. It inhabits dry, but not arid, deciduous forest and cloudforest in the coastal zone and Andean foothills. There are unconfirmed reports from savannah and brushy habitats. In elevation it generally ranges from sea level to 1,390 m (4,560 ft) but has been seen as high as 1,850 m (6,070 ft) and... Wikipedia →