The plain chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) is a large bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family Cracidae. It breeds in tropical and subtropical environments from mezquital thickets in the Rio Grande Valley in southernmost Texas, United States to northernmost Costa Rica. In Central America, this species occurs in the Pacific lowlands from Chiapas, Mexico to northern Nicaragua and as a separate population in Costa Rica, where its range is separated by a short distance, as a disjunct population.
This species frequents dry and moist forests, especially where interspersed with scrub and savanna. Usually found in groups of up to 15 birds, the plain chachalaca is furtive and wary and prefers to escape from danger by running swiftly on the ground or leaping and gliding through brushy tangles. The plain chachalaca feeds in trees or on the ground on fruit (figs, palms, Sapotaceae), seeds, leaves, and flowers. It is sometimes a pest of crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
The call is a loud, raucous RAW-pa-haw or cha-cha-LAW-ka, often by several birds in a rhythmical chorus, especially in early morning and evening, usually from well up in trees. It also produces peeping whistles and cackles. Others describe chachalaca calls as irritating noises mimicking a bunch of men arguing. The plain chachalaca typically breeds in the early wet season. The nest is a shallow saucer of twigs and plant fibers, lined with leaves, in thick vegetation. The clutch is 2–4 rough-shelled white to cream eggs.
^BirdLife International (2021). "Ortalis vetula". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T22678305A138621104. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22678305A138621104.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
^"NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
The plainchachalaca (Ortalis vetula) is a large bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family Cracidae. It breeds in tropical and subtropical environments...
Chachalacas are galliform birds from the genus Ortalis. These birds are found in wooded habitats in the far southern United States (Texas), Mexico, and...
subtropical Central and South America. The range of one species, the plainchachalaca, just reaches southernmost parts of Texas in the United States. Two...
Mexican chachalaca was first described as Penelope poliocephala and later moved to genus Ortalis. At one time it was considered a subspecies of plain chachalaca...
badger (Taxidea taxus), North American beaver (Castor canadensis), plainchachalaca (Ortalis vetula) and quail. In the western part of the state, the Sierra...
Reichenberger, 1921). The latter might actually be a subspecies of plainchachalaca (O. vetula) or a species in its own right. The Paraguayan population...
chachalaca was previously considered a subspecies of the speckled chachalaca (Ortalis guttata). Before that it was treated as a subspecies of plain chachalaca...
Odontophoridae (New World quail), Numididae (guinea fowl), Cracidae (including chachalacas and curassows), and Megapodiidae (incubator birds like malleefowl and...
and Yucatan spider monkey. There are many bird species including the plainchachalaca, quail, pelican, and toucan. Reptiles include rattlesnakes, coral snakes...
1898 but found again in 1948. Utila chachalaca (Ortalis vetula deschauenseei), subspecies of the plainchachalaca from Honduras, not recorded between...
in this region include the white-tailed hawk (Buteo albicaudatus), plainchachalaca (Ortalis vetula), green parakeet (Psittacara holochlorus), buff-bellied...
group have more than 270 living species and includes the megapodes, chachalacas, guans, curassows, turkeys, grouse, New World quails, pheasants, partridges...
but the curassows and some guans have colorful facial ornaments. Plainchachalaca, Ortalis vetula (hypothetical) Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae...
larger than themselves, such as a cattle egret (Bulbucus ibis) or a plainchachalaca (Ortalis vetula), on rare occasions. The nest is a platform built of...
artificially expanded range Mute swan from Europe Ortalis vetula (plainchachalaca) - to Georgia from Texas Bonasa umbellus (ruffed grouse) - artificially...
Gray-headed chachalaca, Ortalis cinereiceps LC Great curassow, Crax rubra VU Highland guan, Penelopina nigra VU Horned guan, Oreophasis derbianus EN E Plain chachalaca...
introduced unsuccessfully to Kangaroo Island and Dunk Island in Australia Plainchachalaca, successfully introduced to Sapelo Island and possibly Blackbeard Island...
Global Information
