Chachalacas are mainly brown birds from the genus Ortalis. These cracids are found in wooded habitats in far southern United States (Texas), Mexico, and Central and South America. They are social, can be very noisy and often remain fairly common even near humans, as their relatively small size makes them less desirable to hunters than their larger relatives. They somewhat resemble the guans, and the two have commonly been placed in a subfamily together, though the chachalacas are probably closer to the curassows.^[1]

The generic name is derived from the Greek word όρταλις, meaning "pullet"^[2] or "domestic hen."^[3] The common name is an onomatopoeia for the four-noted cackle of the Plain Chachalaca (O. vetula).^[4]

Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data tentatively suggests that the chachalacas emerged as a distinct lineage during the Oligocene, somewhere around 40-20 mya, possibly being the first lineage of modern cracids to evolve; this does agree with the known fossil record - including indeterminate, cracid-like birds - which very cautiously favors a north-to-south expansion of the family.^[1]

Species

• Plain Chachalaca, Ortalis vetula
  • Utila Island Chachalaca, Ortalis vetula deschauensei (not seen for many years until rediscovery in 2005^[5])
• Grey-headed Chachalaca, Ortalis cinereiceps
• Chestnut-winged Chachalaca, Ortalis garrula
• Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Ortalis ruficauda
• Rufous-headed Chachalaca, Ortalis erythroptera
• Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Ortalis wagleri
• West Mexican Chachalaca, Ortalis poliocephala
• Chaco Chachalaca, Ortalis canicollis
• White-bellied Chachalaca, Ortalis leucogastra
• Colombian Chachalaca, Ortalis columbiana
• Speckled Chachalaca, Ortalis guttata
  • East Brazilian Chachalaca, Ortalis (guttata) araucuan
  • Scaled Chachalaca, Ortalis (guttata) squamata
• Little Chachalaca, Ortalis motmot
  • Chestnut-headed Chachalaca, Ortalis (motmot) ruficeps
• Buff-browed Chachalaca, Ortalis superciliaris

Prehistoric species

The cracids have a very poor fossil record, essentially being limited to a few chachalacas. The prehistoric species of the present genus, however, indicate that chachalacas most likely evolved in North or northern Central America:

• Ortalis tantala (Early Miocene of Nebraska, USA)
• Ortalis pollicaris (Flint Hill Middle Miocene of South Dakota, USA)
• Ortalis affinis (Ogallala Early Pliocene of Trego County, USA)
• Ortalis phengites (Snake Creek Early Pliocene of Sioux County, USA)

The Early Miocene fossil Boreortalis from Florida is also a chachalaca; it may actually be referrable to the extant genus.

References