The grey-headed chachalaca (Ortalis cinereiceps ) is a member of an ancient group of birds of the family Cracidae, which includes chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found from Honduras to Colombia.
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Gliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
No
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
G
starts withThe grey-headed chachalaca is a medium-sized bird, similar in general appearance to turkeys, with a small head, long strong legs, and a long broad tail. They are 48 to 58 cm (1.6 to 1.9 ft) long and weigh 490 to 540 g (1.1 to 1.2 lb). They have fairly dull plumage, grayish brown above and paler below. The head is dark grey with a red dewlap and the blackish tail is tipped with buff. Their primary flight feathers are bright chestnut. Juveniles are browner overall, especially on the head.
The grey-headed chachalaca is found from Mosquitia in eastern Honduras through eastern Nicaragua and most of Costa Rica and Panama into Colombia's Chocó Department. In addition to mainland Panama it occurs on Isla del Rey, where it might have been introduced by native Americans. It inhabits a variety of humid landscapes characterized by dense vegetation such as thickets, secondary forest, brushy abandoned fields, and thinned forests. It shuns the interior of dense forest though it can occur in their edges. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 1,700 m (5,600 ft).
The grey-headed chachalaca forages typically in groups of six to 12 but sometimes up to 20, usually in the vegetation but sometimes on the ground. Its diet is about 75% fruit, 17% leaves, and 8% invertebrates. In the dry season it visits rivers to drink in the morning and evening.
The grey-headed chachalaca's egg-laying season spans at least January to May, which overlaps the rainy season. Its broad shallow nest is built of twigs, vines, and other vegetation and placed 1 to 2.4 m (3 to 8 ft) above ground in a tree or bush and often screened by vines. The female lays three dull white eggs and incubates them alone.
The IUCN has assessed the grey-headed chachalaca as being of Least Concern. It varies from fairly common to common throughout its range though in some areas the population has been significantly reduced by hunting. It adapts well to some habitat disturbance.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...