Photo: Cláudio Dias Timm / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Little Chachalaca
Ortalis motmot
Little Chachalaca (Ortalis motmot) — Gamebirds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Little Chachalaca (Ortalis motmot) is a member of the Cracidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 520 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Galliformes
- Family Cracidae Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans
- Genus Ortalis
- Species motmot
Quick facts
- Weight
- 520 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Cracidae
- Order
- Galliformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Little Chachalaca is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Little Chachalaca is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Little Chachalaca (Ortalis motmot) is a species of bird in the Cracidae family, part of the order Galliformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA n Amazonia.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 520 g, with a wing length of about 20.7 cm and a tail of around 23.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Little Chachalaca?
The Little Chachalaca is a large bird that weighs around 520 g.
Where does the Little Chachalaca live?
The Little Chachalaca is found across South America with a range covering SA n Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Little Chachalaca belong to?
The Little Chachalaca (Ortalis motmot) belongs to the Cracidae family, in the order Galliformes.
What does the Little Chachalaca eat?
The Little Chachalaca is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Little Chachalaca migrate?
The Little Chachalaca is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Little Chachalaca endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Little Chachalaca make?
1 real field recording of the Little Chachalaca — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Little Chachalaca's range?
The Little Chachalaca has a mapped global range of about 2.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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