Rufous-bellied chachalaca
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Ortalis wagleri

The rufous-bellied chachalaca (Ortalis wagleri ) is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is endemic to western Mexico.

Appearance

The rufous-bellied chachalaca is 62 to 67 cm (2.0 to 2.2 ft) long and weighs about 834 g (1.8 lb). Most of its plumage is gray brown to olive brown, but its chestnut belly and tail tips make it the most richly colored member of its genus. It has bare pink and blue skin around the eye.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

The rufous-bellied chachalaca is found in western Mexico from southern Sonora south to northwestern Jalisco. It inhabits tropical deciduous, semi-deciduous, and thorn forest and, along the coast, mangroves. In elevation it usually ranges from sea level to 1,300 m (4,300 ft) but has been found as high as 2,000 m (6,600 ft).

Rufous-bellied chachalaca habitat map
Rufous-bellied chachalaca habitat map
Rufous-bellied chachalaca
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Habits and Lifestyle

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

The rufous-bellied chachalaca forages in groups of up to 10, gleaning fruit from trees.

Mating Habits

Little is known about the rufous-bellied chachalaca's breeding phenology. Its breeding season appears to center around June. The clutch size is usually three eggs.

Population

Population number

The IUCN has assessed the rufous-bellied chachalaca as being of Least Concern. It is fairly common to common, even in habitats severely altered by humans, and is legally hunted.

References

1. Rufous-bellied chachalaca Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufous-bellied_chachalaca
2. Rufous-bellied chachalaca on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22678322/92767779
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/519644

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