Rufous-headed chachalaca

Ortalis erythroptera

Photo by Roberto Pujana (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

rufous-headed chachalaca (en); aracuã-de-cabeça-ruiva (pt); ortalide à tête rousse (fr); chachalaca cabecirrufa (es); rotkopfguan (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Galliformes

Family Cracidae

Range:

This South American species is only found in the extreme south-west of Colombia, along the western parts of Ecuador, and in the north-west of Peru.

Size:

These birds are 56-66 cm long. Males tend to be larger than females, with males weighing 900 g and females 760 g.

Habitat:

They traditionally inhabit dry and deciduous woodland, lowland riparian forests, humid lowland forests and lower mountain cloud-forests up to an altitude of 1850 m. They are also found in degraded forest habitats, scrubland, and even agricultural land.

Diet:

They mostly eat fruits and other plant material. Birds have been seen eating coffee berries and bananas. Their diet may also occasionally include insects.

Breeding:

The rufous-headed chachalaca is a monogamous species. They possibly breed during the wet season, in December-May. Females lay an average 3 eggs.

Conservation:

IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)

With a total population of less than 10.000 individuals, the rufous-headed chachalaca is believed to be declining due to habitat destruction and fragmentation. In Ecuador, lowland forests currently cover less than 5% of their original extent. In the higher parts of the species range, deforestation has been slower, but logging, cattle-ranching and oil palm plant are slowly destroying and fragmenting the habitat.