Cracidae - chachalacas, curassows, and guans

There are 50 species in this family. They are found in Central and South America. One species in the family, the plain chachalaca is found in southern Texas.

These birds are similar in shape to turkeys. They have long, thick tails; small bills, large feet, and small heads. They are dull in color and eat seeds, insects, worms, and fruit.

They nest in trees and their chicks are precocial and can move around and feed themselves shortly after birth and can fly a few days after hatching.

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in the Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH
Breeds in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

New Hampshire Species		North/Central American Species
None		Sickle-winged Guan - Chamaepetes goudotii Black Guan - Chamaepetes unicolor Great Curassow - Crax rubra Horned Guan - Oreophasis derbianus Gray-headed Chachalaca - Ortalis cinereiceps White-bellied Chachalaca - Ortalis leucogastra West Mexican Chachalaca - Ortalis poliocephala Rufous-vented Chachalaca - Ortalis ruficauda Plain Chachalaca - Ortalis vetula Rufous-bellied Chachalaca - Ortalis wagleri

Species Around the World
Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North/Central America South America NH Species
Wattled Guan - Aburria aburri Sickle-winged Guan - Chamaepetes goudotii Black Guan - Chamaepetes unicolor Blue-billed Curassow - Crax alberti Black Curassow - Crax alector Red-billed Curassow - Crax blumenbachii Yellow-knobbed Curassow - Crax daubentoni Bare-faced Curassow - Crax fasciolata Wattled Curassow - Crax globulosa Great Curassow - Crax rubra Alagoas Curassow - Mitu mitu Salvin's Curassow - Mitu salvini Crestless Curassow - Mitu tomentosum Razor-billed Curassow - Mitu tuberosum Nocturnal Curassow - Nothocrax urumutum Horned Guan - Oreophasis derbianus Chaco Chachalaca - Ortalis canicollis		Gray-headed Chachalaca - Ortalis cinereiceps Rufous-headed Chachalaca - Ortalis erythroptera Chestnut-winged Chachalaca - Ortalis garrula Speckled Chachalaca - Ortalis guttata White-bellied Chachalaca - Ortalis leucogastra Little Chachalaca - Ortalis motmot West Mexican Chachalaca - Ortalis poliocephala Rufous-vented Chachalaca - Ortalis ruficauda Buff-browed Chachalaca - Ortalis superciliaris Plain Chachalaca - Ortalis vetula Rufous-bellied Chachalaca - Ortalis wagleri Helmeted Curassow - Pauxi pauxi Horned Curassow - Pauxi unicornis White-winged Guan - Penelope albipennis Band-tailed Guan - Penelope argyrotis Bearded Guan - Penelope barbata Red-faced Guan - Penelope dabbenei