Little Chachalaca

Overview

The little chachalaca (Ortalis motmot) is a bird species within the family Cracidae, alongside guans and curassows. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• 43 to 54 cm long with a reddish chestnut head.
• Reddish brown to gray-brown upperparts and gray underparts.
• Central tail feathers are gray-brown with rusty outer feathers.
• Dark slate gray facial skin.
• A loud, rollicking duet of a repeated 'WATCH-a-lak', mainly heard at dawn and dusk.

Habitat

Found in southern and eastern Venezuela, the Guianas, northern Brazil south to the Amazon River east of the Rio Negro, and possibly Colombia. It inhabits undergrowth along rivers, clearings, abandoned pastures, dense secondary forest, and coastal brush, shunning dense forest interiors. Its elevation range spans from sea level to 1,700 m.

Diet

This bird forages in trees or on the ground, usually in pairs or small flocks. Its primary diet consists of berries and fruits, although it also consumes flowers and leaves.

Did you know?

The species' scientific name derives from a historical mix-up where the Dutch zoologist Albertus Seba misapplied the Aztec word 'motmot' to a chachalaca in 1734, and this name was later adopted by Linnaeus.