Diet of the Chaco Chachalaca

Chaco Chachalacas (Ortalis canicollis) in the semi-arid Chaco forest region of northern Argentina fed mainly on herbaceous leaves (37% of the dry mass of its diet) and fleshy fruits (25%). Leaves and fruit were consumed year round. The rest of the diet consisted of caterpillars and flowers. The Chaco Chachalaca consumed all the fruit species available to it during this study period. Fruits most frequently eaten were: (1) fruit thickly bunched on the plant with long availability, even though of lower quality and (2) fruit of good quality (judged by pulp and total solids content). Low quality fruits not clumped together were less used in spite of their abundance in the forest.