The West Mexican chachalaca is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is endemic to Mexico.
Region
Western Mexico (Pacific Slope)
Typical Environment
Occurs along the Pacific slope from about southern Sinaloa and Nayarit south through Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacán in tropical deciduous forest and thorn-scrub. It favors dry forest edges, riparian corridors, second growth, and mosaic landscapes with orchards and hedgerows. Birds often remain in dense foliage but venture into openings to feed in fruiting trees. It tolerates some habitat disturbance and can be locally common where hunting pressure is low.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
This chachalaca is a noisy, social gamebird of western Mexico’s tropical dry forests, often heard before it is seen. Family groups deliver loud dawn choruses that sound like its name, carrying far across valleys. It plays a role in seed dispersal by consuming a wide variety of fruits, and it readily uses edge habitats and orchards.
Temperament
social and noisy
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats followed by glides
Social Behavior
Typically found in family parties or small flocks that move through the midstory and canopy. Pairs are monogamous during the breeding season, nesting in a simple platform of twigs concealed in shrubs or trees. Clutches are small, and adults guard the nest area vigorously.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, raucous chorus often at dawn and dusk, with repetitive chattering phrases resembling “cha-cha-LA-ca.” Calls carry long distances and are frequently given antiphonally by multiple birds in a group.
