# Plain Chachalaca (*Ortalis vetula*) The Plain Chachalaca is a fun bird that loves to make loud sounds! It has a long tail and a brownish body, making it easy to spot in the trees where it lives. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Plain Chachalaca](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Plain_chachalaca_%28Ortalis_vetula_vetula%29_Peten.jpg&width=800) Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plain_chachalaca_%28Ortalis_vetula_vetula%29_Peten.jpg) ## Appearance The Plain Chachalaca is a medium-sized bird with a slender, chicken-like body and a long tail. It has dull gray-brown plumage, darker on the back and lighter on the belly. Rufous primary feathers are visible in flight. Its small head is grayish, sometimes with subtle pale blue bare skin around the eye. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Galliformes - **Family:** Cracidae - **Genus:** Ortalis ## Interesting facts - Chachalacas sleep perched on high tree branches at night. - Sometimes a whole family group helps raise the chicks! - Their unique "cha-cha-lac-a" call often signals dawn! - They lay eggs with a bumpy, rough shell, unlike most birds! ## Special abilities - **Voice Amplifier:** Plain Chachalaca has extremely powerful vocal cords that allow them to produce loud, raucous calls heard over a kilometer away. - **Forest Acrobat:** Plain Chachalacas can gracefully hop and run through dense tree branches because of their strong legs and gripping feet. - **Nature's Gardener:** Plain Chachalacas disperse seeds across the forest because they eat many fruits, helping new plants grow. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 48-58 cm - **Wingspan:** 60-65 cm - **Weight:** 0.4-0.8 kg - **Lifespan:** 8-10 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-4 - **Incubation:** 22-24 days ## Diet & Feeding This bird mainly enjoys eating fruits, seeds, flowers, and insects it finds in trees and on the ground. - **Age differences:** Chicks consume more protein-rich insects initially, gradually transitioning to an adult diet. - **Primary Foods:** Berries, Figs, Seeds, Flowers, Leaves, Insects - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — hunts adults and takes eggs from nests. - **Eaten by:** [Red-shouldered Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-shouldered-hawk) (*Buteo lineatus*) — preys on chachalacas from above. - **Eats:** American Fig (*Ficus americana*) — fruits are a key food source, aids seed dispersal. - **Eats:** [Gray Bird Grasshopper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gray-bird-grasshopper) (*Schistocerca nitens*) — consumes insects for protein, especially chicks. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance, and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Plain Chachalaca? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Plain Chachalaca? 48-58 cm ### What is Plain Chachalaca's wingspan? 60-65 cm ### How much does Plain Chachalaca weigh? 0.4-0.8 kg ### How long does Plain Chachalaca live? 8-10 years ### How fast can Plain Chachalaca move? 35 km/h ### What does Plain Chachalaca eat? This bird mainly enjoys eating fruits, seeds, flowers, and insects it finds in trees and on the ground. ### Where is Plain Chachalaca usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Fort Brown](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-brown) — US · Historic Site - [National Butterfly Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/national-butterfly-center) — Texas, US · Nature Reserve ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Plain Chachalaca: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/plain-chachalaca)