Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens) by Reinier Munguia

I have been updating the Cracidae Family page which includes Chachalacas, Curassows and Guans. They are in the Galliformes Order. That Order not only includes the Cracidaes, but also the Megapodidae (Megapodes), the Numidae (Guineafowl), Odontophoridae (New World Quails) and the Phasianidae (Pheasants, Fowl & Allies).

The Cracidae family are chicken-like birds which are medium to large. They are Neotropical, in that you find them from South California and South Texas down through Mexico, Central and South America. We encountered our first bird in the family at Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge in south Texas. We saw the Plain Chachalaca. (That is the only one in the family we have seen outside of zoos and photos).