Rufous-vented chachalaca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rufous-vented chachalaca |
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| Genus: |
Ortalis
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| Species: |
ruficauda
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The rufous-vented chachalaca (scientific name: Ortalis ruficauda) is a type of bird. It belongs to an old group of birds called Cracidae. These birds are related to the mound builders found in Australasia.
You can find this bird in northeast Colombia and northern Venezuela. In these places, people often call it the guacharaca. It also lives on the island of Tobago in Trinidad and Tobago. There, it's known as the cocrico. The cocrico is one of Trinidad and Tobago's two national birds and even appears on the country's coat of arms. You might also see it on Bequia and Union Island in the Grenadines. It might have been brought to these islands by people.
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Where Rufous-Vented Chachalacas Live
The rufous-vented chachalaca mostly lives in trees. You can find it in forests and woodlands. It also lives in more open, dry areas with lots of bushes. This bird is not as easily hunted as some of its larger relatives, like curassows. This helps keep its population strong.
What Rufous-Vented Chachalacas Look Like
These birds are medium-sized. They look a bit like turkeys. They have small heads, long, strong legs, and a long, wide tail.
They are usually about 53 to 58 centimeters (about 21 to 23 inches) long. Female chachalacas weigh around 540 grams (about 1.2 pounds). Males are a bit bigger, weighing about 640 grams (about 1.4 pounds).
Their feathers are not very bright. They are dark brown on their backs and lighter brown underneath. Their heads are grey. Their brown tails have a tip that can be reddish-brown or white, depending on the specific type of chachalaca.
The Chachalaca's Loud Call
Just like other chachalacas, the rufous-vented chachalaca is a very noisy bird. They often start their loud calls at dawn, when the sun is coming up.
The male bird makes a loud, low sound like ka-ka-rooki-rooki-ka. The female answers with a high-pitched watch-a-lak. They often repeat these calls many times in a row, perfectly in sync with each other.
Breeding and Daily Life
These birds are social. They often live in family groups. They walk along branches, looking for food. They eat fruit like mangoes and berries. They also enjoy fruits from the Euterpe palm tree, as well as leaves and seeds.
The rufous-vented chachalaca can fly well. It can even take off and fly straight up! However, it usually does not fly for very long distances.
When it's time to have babies, the chachalaca builds a nest out of twigs. The nest is usually low in a tree. The female bird lays three or four large white eggs. She then sits on the eggs by herself until they hatch.
Types of Rufous-Vented Chachalacas
There are two main types, or subspecies, of the rufous-vented chachalaca:
- O. r. ruficauda (Jardine, 1847) - This type lives in northeast Colombia to northern Venezuela, and also on Tobago and Isla Margarita.
- O. r. ruficrissa (Sclater and Salvin, 1870) - This type is found in northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela.
See also
In Spanish: Guacharaca culirroja para niños
