Plain Chachalaca
Plain Chachalaca has declined: down 49% on the route-weighted index since 1978.
About the Plain Chachalaca
The Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) is a North American member of the Chachalacas & Guans (Cracidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the game birds.
- Size
- 19.5–23.5 in long (50–60 cm) — a large, long-tailed game bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Fields, brushland, prairie and the forest floor, where it forages and nests on the ground.
- Diet
- Seeds, grain, buds, leaves and insects gathered on the ground.
- Range
- Recorded on 6 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state.
- Family
- Cracidae · Game birds
Notable Plain Chachalaca Trends
No notable trend signals for Plain Chachalaca. See the full index history below.
Plain Chachalaca Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Plain Chachalaca is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±40.2%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2026 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2027 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2028 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2029 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
Where the Plain Chachalaca Is Detected
BBS routes recording Plain Chachalaca, sized by most recent count.
Plain Chachalaca Population Trend by State
| Texas | -48% | 1978 | 6 |
Plain Chachalaca Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 49% since 1978.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.