Ortalis ruficauda
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The rufous-vented chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda) is a member of an ancient group of birds of the family Cracidae, which are related to the Australasian mound builders. It inhabits northeast Colombia and northern Venezuela where it is called guacharaca, and the island of Tobago in Trinidad and Tobago where it is known as the cocrico and is one of the country's two national birds (being featured on the country's coat of arms). It is also found on Bequia and Union Island in the Grenadines where it may have been introduced.
The rufous-vented chachalaca is a largely arboreal species found in forest and woodland, but it is also found in more open dry scrubby areas. This combined with relatively low hunting pressure, make it far less vulnerable than larger members of the family, notably curassows.
These are medium-sized birds, similar in general appearance to turkeys, with small heads, long strong legs and a long broad tail. They are typically 53–58 cm long; the female weighs 540g and the larger male 640g. They have fairly dull plumage, dark brown above and paler below. The head is grey, and the brown tail is tipped rufous or white depending on race. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main Ridge Forest Reserve | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 2 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aviario Nacional de Colombia | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Buenaventura Zoo | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Bird Kingdom | 🇨🇦 Canada |
No species of the same family or order lives in Main Ridge Forest Reserve, so these are its closest relatives here: other birds.
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-vented Chachalaca sighting in Main Ridge Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 902 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 103 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, September and November–December
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-vented Chachalaca in Main Ridge Forest Reserve on a given day, against about 70% in May–June and August, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous-vented Chachalaca sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Rufous-vented Chachalaca sightings, Main Ridge Forest Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Henri Pittier National Park (Venezuela, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous-vented Chachalaca is recorded against all the birds logged in Main Ridge Forest Reserve (902 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
