Plain Chachalaca
Ortalis vetula (Wagler, 1830)
Cracidae — Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans
Plain Chachalaca, Ortalis vetula, is a bird of North America and Middle America, breeding from southern Texas to north-west Costa Rica. It belongs to the Cracidae family and was described by Wagler in 1830. It lives in tropical and subtropical country, including dry and moist forest, especially where scrub and savanna are mixed in. In Central America it also occurs in the Pacific lowlands from Chiapas to northern Nicaragua, with a separate population in Costa Rica. It is usually seen in groups of up to 15 birds and is known for its loud call.
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Cracidae — Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans
- Breeding range
- North America, Middle America: s Texas to nw Costa Rica
