Comments on: Watching Chachalacas http://www.rgvbirdfestival.com/2009/07/watching-chachalacas/ The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival Will Put the Life in Your Life List! Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:53:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Suzanne Reta http://www.rgvbirdfestival.com/2009/07/watching-chachalacas/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Suzanne Reta Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:34:20 +0000 http://www.rgvbirdfestival.com/?p=775#comment-7 I have wild turkey in my backyard and red-shouldered hawk who screech at me from atop the telephone pole or the redwood trees. I look forward to seeing all those species that reside in RGV. I hope the weather will be nice. I have wild turkey in my backyard and red-shouldered hawk who screech at me from atop the telephone pole or the redwood trees. I look forward to seeing all those species that reside in RGV. I hope the weather will be nice.

]]> By: Sharon Lynn http://www.rgvbirdfestival.com/2009/07/watching-chachalacas/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Sharon Lynn Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:19:08 +0000 http://www.rgvbirdfestival.com/?p=775#comment-4 Lucky you to have chachalacas! I can't wait to come down and see them. Looking forward to the festival, Lucky you to have chachalacas! I can’t wait to come down and see them. Looking forward to the festival,

]]> By: Jeff Gordon http://www.rgvbirdfestival.com/2009/07/watching-chachalacas/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Jeff Gordon Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:52:04 +0000 http://www.rgvbirdfestival.com/?p=775#comment-3 Chachalacas, along with their tropical brethren, the guans & curassows, have a really interesting relationship with people. So do many other large, tasty birds that often top the list of most-desired menu items--turkeys, grouse, ducks and so on. Where these birds are hunted (huge swaths of their ranges) they tend to be very skittish and hard to approach. But where hunting ceases, many quickly become incredibly tame, though never entirely losing a certain suspicion of our motives, as you say. While I'm not against hunting per se, one of the really cool things about having some native habitat around our houses is the chance to see some of these birds acting in a different way. It's also why South Texas is one of the best places anywhere to see species like Plain Chachalaca and White-tipped Dove--in so much of their ranges, they are seen, if at all, as shapes disappearing into the forest. Looking forward to some serious Chachalacawatching in November! Chachalacas, along with their tropical brethren, the guans & curassows, have a really interesting relationship with people. So do many other large, tasty birds that often top the list of most-desired menu items–turkeys, grouse, ducks and so on.

Where these birds are hunted (huge swaths of their ranges) they tend to be very skittish and hard to approach. But where hunting ceases, many quickly become incredibly tame, though never entirely losing a certain suspicion of our motives, as you say.

While I’m not against hunting per se, one of the really cool things about having some native habitat around our houses is the chance to see some of these birds acting in a different way. It’s also why South Texas is one of the best places anywhere to see species like Plain Chachalaca and White-tipped Dove–in so much of their ranges, they are seen, if at all, as shapes disappearing into the forest.

Looking forward to some serious Chachalacawatching in November!

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