Chachalaca in the Flowers

by Judi Dressler

Title

Chachalaca in the Flowers

Artist

Judi Dressler

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Photograph - Photography

Description

Slowly driving by boat through the mangroves in San Blas, Mexico, we came across this Rufous-bellied Chachalaca sitting in the top of a flowering tree, looking so pretty! There was another one lower in the tree and they were having a conversation.

Chachalacas are noisy, long-tailed game bird of tropical forest and edge, usually found in small groups. Rufous-bellied Chachalacas are endemic to west Mexico. Most often it is detected by its raucous song, which carries well. This bird feeds on the ground and also high in trees, where it runs along branches; it likes to eat fruit. For a big bird, it can be surprisingly hard to see (wary in areas where hunted), and slips away from view quite easily. The dark rusty belly and tail tips are diagnostic. Inland from Puerto Vallarta, it may hybridize with the West Mexican Chachalaca. It's possible that this particular bird in the photo is a hybrid.

Photo taken on May 16, 2022, in San Blas, Mexico

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Descriptive keywords and tags for this image include chachalacas, rufous-bellied chachalacas, west mexican chachalacas, trees, flowers, blooming trees, flowering trees, pink flowers, birds, ortalis wagleri, cracidae, fowl, landfowl, pink, game birds, avian, nature, mexico, mexican coast, mangroves, wild, wildlife, dressler, and judi dressler.

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June 24th, 2022

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