Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, April 2010

Bird name: Grey Headed Chachalaca
Latin: Ortalis cinereiceps
Other: Guacharaca de cabeza gris (Es)
Family: Cracidae • Chachalacas
Range: Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, N Colombia
Similar: Plain Chachalaca

I always seemed to be battling the light when I saw Grey-headed Chachalacas in Panama. They were not that uncommon - I saw a pair walking ten feet in front of my cabin door at the Canopy Lodge at dusk, and on further investigation noticed them several other days lurking in the dense branches surrounding the hotel. We also saw a large group of them crashing through the trees at Gamboa Rainforest Centre.

They look similar to Plain Chachalacas, which I understand in Panama replace Grey-headed on the north Caribbean slope. Grey-headed Chachalacas have more chestnut colouring on the wing.More photos...

008 Cracidae - Chachalacas, Curassows & Guans - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Ortalis vetula - Plain Chachalaca - S Texas to Honduras
Ortalis cinereiceps - Grey-headed Chachalaca - Honduras to N Colombia - Split from O. garrula
Ortalis garrula - Chestnut-winged Chachalaca - NW Colombia
Ortalis ruficauda - Rufous-vented Chachalaca - Colombia, Venezuela
Ortalis erythroptera - Rufous-headed Chachalaca - Ecuador, Peru
Ortalis wagleri - Rufous-bellied Chachalaca - Mexico
Ortalis poliocephala - West Mexican Chachalaca - Mexico
Ortalis canicollis - Chaco Chachalaca - C South America
Ortalis leucogastra - White-bellied Chachalaca - Mexico to Nicaragua
Ortalis guttata - Speckled Chachalaca - Amazonia
Ortalis araucuan - East Brazilian Chachalaca - E Brazil - Split from O. guttata
Ortalis squamata - Scaled Chachalaca - SE Brazil - Split from O. guttata
Ortalis columbiana - Colombian Chachalaca - Colombia - Split from O. guttata
Ortalis motmot - Little Chachalaca - N Amazonia
Ortalis ruficeps - Chestnut-headed Chachalaca - NC Brazil - Split from O. motmot
Ortalis superciliaris - Buff-browed Chachalaca - NE Brazil

Penelope argyrotis - Band-tailed Guan - Colombia, Venezuela
Penelope barbata - Bearded Guan - Ecuador, Peru
Penelope ortoni - Baudo Guan - Colombia, Ecuador
Penelope montagnii - Andean Guan - Colombia to Bolivia
Penelope marail - Marail Guan - N South America
Penelope superciliaris - Rusty-margined Guan - C,e
Penelope dabbenei - Red-faced Guan - SE Bolivia, NW Argentina
Penelope purpurascens - Crested Guan - Mexico to NW South America
Penelope perspicax - Cauca Guan - W Colombia
Penelope albipennis - White-winged Guan - NW Peru
Penelope jacquacu - Spix's Guan - Amazonia
Penelope obscura - Dusky-legged Guan - SC, SE South America
Penelope pileata - White-crested Guan - NC Brazil
Penelope ochrogaster - Chestnut-bellied Guan - C Brazil
Penelope jacucaca - White-browed Guan - E Brazil

Pipile pipile - Trinidad Piping Guan - Trinidad - Was Common
Pipile cumanensis - Blue-throated Piping Guan - W Guianas to SW Brazil - Pipile cumanensis ssp of P. pipile
Pipile cujubi - Red-throated Piping Guan - NC Brazil, Amazonia - Pipile cujibi ssp of P. pipile
Pipile jacutinga - Black-fronted Piping Guan - SE Brazil, SE Paraguay - Split from P. pipile

Aburria aburri - Wattled Guan - Venezuela to Peru

Chamaepetes unicolor - Black Guan - Costa Rica, Panama
Chamaepetes goudotii - Sickle-winged Guan - Colombia to Bolivia

Penelopina nigra - Highland Guan - S Mexico to Nicaragua

Oreophasis derbianus - Horned Guan - SE Mexico, Guatemala

Nothocrax urumutum - Nocturnal Curassow - W Amazonia

Mitu tomentosum - Crestless Curassow - N Amazonia
Mitu salvini - Salvin's Curassow - W Amazonia
Mitu tuberosum - Razor-billed Curassow - Amazonia
Mitu mitu - Alagoas Curassow - E Brazil

Pauxi pauxi - Helmeted Curassow - Venezuela, Colombia - New name
Pauxi unicornis - Horned Curassow - Peru, Bolivia - New name

Crax rubra - Great Curassow - Mexico to Peru
Crax alberti - Blue-billed Curassow - Colombia - Blue-knobbed more accurate
Crax daubentoni - Yellow-knobbed Curassow - Colombia, Venezuela
Crax alector - Black Curassow - N Amazonia
Crax globulosa - Wattled Curassow - W Amazonia
Crax fasciolata - Bare-faced Curassow - C South America
Crax blumenbachii - Red-billed Curassow - SE Brazil - Red-knobbed more accurate