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Plain Chachalaca - Ortalis vetula

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Cracidae
Genus: Ortalis

ICUN Redlist - World Status:

Least Concern

Description

Plain chachalacas are about 20-24 inches in length. They have a small head and dark brown feathers on their heads and backs, with lighter brown feathers on their chests. They have a very long, green-tinged tail with a white tip.

Range

map The plain chachalaca is found from southern Texas in the Rio Grande Valley south to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The plain chachalaca does not migrate.

Habitat

The plain chachalaca lives in river woodlands and thickets. They prefer to live close to water.

Diet

The plain chachalaca eats leaves, grain, berries, buds, and sometimes insects.

Life Cycle

The female lays 3-4 eggs in a nest made of sticks and lined with moss and leaves. Occasionally, she uses the old nests of other birds. The nest is usually made in a low tree branch or on heavy vine 3-30 feet off the ground. The eggs take 3-4 weeks to hatch, and the chicks leave the nest 2-3 weeks after they hatch.

Behavior

The plain chachalaca is a very noisy bird. At dawn and sunset, groups of them call loudly from the treetops.

Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Daniel Lane