A cracid of northern South America, recognized by reddish-brown plumage and a red throat wattle.
It has a reddish-brown back, dark bare skin on the face, and a red wattle at the throat.
Little Chachalacas have reddish-brown edges to their outer tail feathers and occur north of the Amazon River. The similar Chestnut-headed Chachalaca lives south of it. Their body plumage is very similar, but tail colour, size and voice distinguish the two species.
A 2020 study re-examined 147 museum specimens from the northern and southern forms, formerly grouped within one species. Measurements were taken from 51 northern and 25 southern specimens. Northern Little Chachalacas were larger in most measured traits.
The researchers also compared 18 suitable sound recordings and found a difference in the duration of a complete calling syllable. Tail colour, body dimensions, voice and distribution on opposite sides of the river together supported recognizing two species.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
A 1993 survey about 80 kilometres north of Manaus recorded this species in secondary forest. The 1999 paper recommended retaining large areas of primary forest free of hunting for cracid conservation while also recognizing secondary habitats in conservation planning. Protecting the forests used by this species and investigating local hunting effects are relevant priorities.