Plain chachalaca

Scientific name: Ortalis vetula

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

A lean, long-tailed game bird with greyish-brown plumage, rufous wing patches, and a small head with a pointed bill. Males are slightly larger and more robust than females; both sexes lack prominent sexual dimorphism in colouration.

Size and weight

Weight: 140–180 g; body length: 23–27 cm.

Habitat

Plain chachalacas inhabit brushy thickets, dense scrubland, and chaparral with scattered trees, typically in lowland areas from sea level to 1,500 m elevation. They favour semi-open country with adequate cover for nesting and roosting.

Distribution

Range extends from south Texas through Mexico to Guatemala. Within their range, they occupy semi-arid brushy lowlands and coastal scrub, showing preference for areas with permanent water and dense understory cover.

Diet

Chachalacas are primarily herbivorous, feeding on seeds, berries, and tender shoots; they also consume insects seasonally and forage opportunistically on cultivated crops.

Behaviour

Highly vocal and active during dawn and dusk, often heard before seen; they are gregarious, moving in small coveys through low brush with a rapid, direct flight. They roost communally in trees and spend most time on the ground or in dense vegetation.

Hunting tips

Look for tracks and droppings along established runways through brush; birds flush with a loud whir when closely approached. Work upwind through dense cover at dawn or dusk when birds are most active, moving slowly and pausing to listen for calls. Use low cover and approach feeding or roosting areas from downwind when possible.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 3 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.