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 LC    Plain Chachalaca* Id (Atlas):
    Ortalis vetula

Description (10)
Image of Plain Chachalaca
 

Other Names (World)
Plain Chachalaca, Common Chachalaca, Mexican Chachalaca, Eastern Chachalaca, Northern Chachalaca (mccallii), Utila Chachalaca (deschauenseei)

Family
Cracidae (Guans, Chachalacas, Curassows)

Size
56 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Wagler, 1830)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland dry and moist shrubland. Also, subtropical and tropical lowland moist forest, mangroves, heavily degraded former forest. From sea-level - 1,850 m.

Range (Guide)
Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, USA (B).

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 500,000 - 4,999,999 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Usually in groups of up to 15.

Food
Fruit, seeds, leaves, and flowers. Sometimes crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers.

Voice
A raucous 'raw-pa-haw' or 'cha-cha-law-ka', often uttered by several birds in chorus, especially at dawn and dusk. Also peeping whistles and cackles.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (24)...)

 
Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) [XC166120]
     by Peter Paul from Bentsen Rio Grande State Park, Mission, TX, United States (call)

 
Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) [XC782894]
     by Paul Driver from Parque Yaguarundi, Mexico (song)

Nest
A shallow saucer composed of twigs and plant fibers, lined with leaves, in thick vegetation.

Eggs (Guide)
2 - 4; coarse, white to cream.

Subspecies
West Mexican Chachalaca (Ortalis poliocephala) and White-bellied Chachalaca (Ortalis leucogastra) formerly considered subspecies of present species. Population of dry interior valley of Chiapas, southern Mexico, was separated in subspecies vallicola, but differences slight and not usually recognized. Isolated population in Costa Rica may represent undescribed subspecies; sometimes assigned to White-bellied Chachalaca (Ortalis leucogastra). In Chiapas, range meets, and may slightly overlap with those of West Mexican Chachalaca (Ortalis poliocephala) and White-bellied Chachalaca (Ortalis leucogastra) but hybridization not recorded.

Formerly, White-bellied Chachalaca (Ortalis leucogastra) was considered a subspecies but is now recognised as a full species.

The following 4 subspecies are recognised:

  • vetula (Wagler, 1830)   -  Eastern and southern Mexico, Belize, eastern Guatemala, Honduras, western Nicaragua and north-western Costa Rica.
  • deschauenseei Bond, J, 1936   -  Utila I, off northern Honduras.
  • mccallii Baird, SF, 1858   -  Extreme southern Texas (USA) and north-eastern Mexico south to northern Veracruz.
  • pallidiventris Ridgway, 1887   -  Northern Yucatán.



References
See References.


Files:
JPG files for Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) - 10 files


More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Plain Chachalaca see... Show Articles BirdLife International Species Factsheet.


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