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The tinamous are one of the most ancient living groups of bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
, members of a South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
n family
Family

Family denotes a group of people affiliated by a common ancestry, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," some cultural anthropology have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts r...
.

family
Family

Family denotes a group of people affiliated by a common ancestry, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," some cultural anthropology have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts r...
 Tinamidae consists of about 47 species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
 in 9 genera
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
. Although they look similar to other ground-dwelling birds like quail
Quail

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae. New World quails and buttonquails and are not closely related but named for their similar appearance and behaviour....
 and grouse
Grouse

Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are often considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae....
, tinamids have no close living relatives, and hence are placed in their own order
Order

Order may refer to:...
, Tinamiformes. These taxonomic
Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the practice and science of classification. The word comes from the Greek language ', taxis and ', nomos .Taxonomies, or taxonomic schemes, are composed of taxonomic units known as taxa , or kinds of things that are arranged frequently in a hierarchical structure....
 names are based on the Galibi
Galibi

The Galibi were a Cariban languages people who lived in the Lesser Antilles and northern South America at the time of European colonization of the Americas....
 word for these birds, "tinamu".

"Tinamidae" was defined as a branch-modified crown
Crown group

A crown group is the smallest monophyletic group, or "clade", to contain the last common ancestor of all members, and all of that ancestor's descendants....
 clade
Clade

A clade is a term used in modern alpha taxonomy, the scientific classification of living and fossil organisms, to describe a monophyletic group, defined as a group consisting of a single common ancestor and all its descendants.The term "monophyletic group" is used in this article in the conventional sense of "an a...
 by Gauthier and de Queiroz (2001): "Tinamidae refers to the crown clade stemming from the most recent common ancestor of Tetrao
Tetrao

Tetrao is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily....
 [Tinamus
Tinamus

Tinamus is a genus of birds in the Tinamou family. This genus is comprised of some of the larger members of this South American family.The species in taxonomic order are:...
] major Gmelin 1789 and all extant birds sharing a more recent ancestor with with that species than with Struthio camelus Linnaeus 1758 and Vultur gryphus Linnaeus 1758."

Of Gondwana
Gondwana

Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland is the name given to a southern precursor-supercontinent and then as a remnant separated from Laurasia 180- during the breakup of the Pangaea supercontinent that existed about 500 to 200 Annum ago into two large segments.n origin, tinamids are related to the ratite
Ratite

A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, most of them now extinct. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum - hence their name which comes from the Latin for raft....
s.






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The tinamous are one of the most ancient living groups of bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
, members of a South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
n family
Family

Family denotes a group of people affiliated by a common ancestry, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," some cultural anthropology have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts r...
.

Taxonomy and Phylogeny

The family
Family

Family denotes a group of people affiliated by a common ancestry, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," some cultural anthropology have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts r...
 Tinamidae consists of about 47 species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
 in 9 genera
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
. Although they look similar to other ground-dwelling birds like quail
Quail

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae. New World quails and buttonquails and are not closely related but named for their similar appearance and behaviour....
 and grouse
Grouse

Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are often considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae....
, tinamids have no close living relatives, and hence are placed in their own order
Order

Order may refer to:...
, Tinamiformes. These taxonomic
Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the practice and science of classification. The word comes from the Greek language ', taxis and ', nomos .Taxonomies, or taxonomic schemes, are composed of taxonomic units known as taxa , or kinds of things that are arranged frequently in a hierarchical structure....
 names are based on the Galibi
Galibi

The Galibi were a Cariban languages people who lived in the Lesser Antilles and northern South America at the time of European colonization of the Americas....
 word for these birds, "tinamu".

"Tinamidae" was defined as a branch-modified crown
Crown group

A crown group is the smallest monophyletic group, or "clade", to contain the last common ancestor of all members, and all of that ancestor's descendants....
 clade
Clade

A clade is a term used in modern alpha taxonomy, the scientific classification of living and fossil organisms, to describe a monophyletic group, defined as a group consisting of a single common ancestor and all its descendants.The term "monophyletic group" is used in this article in the conventional sense of "an a...
 by Gauthier and de Queiroz (2001): "Tinamidae refers to the crown clade stemming from the most recent common ancestor of Tetrao
Tetrao

Tetrao is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily....
 [Tinamus
Tinamus

Tinamus is a genus of birds in the Tinamou family. This genus is comprised of some of the larger members of this South American family.The species in taxonomic order are:...
] major Gmelin 1789 and all extant birds sharing a more recent ancestor with with that species than with Struthio camelus Linnaeus 1758 and Vultur gryphus Linnaeus 1758."

Of Gondwana
Gondwana

Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland is the name given to a southern precursor-supercontinent and then as a remnant separated from Laurasia 180- during the breakup of the Pangaea supercontinent that existed about 500 to 200 Annum ago into two large segments.n origin, tinamids are related to the ratite
Ratite

A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, most of them now extinct. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum - hence their name which comes from the Latin for raft....
s. Although the fossil
Fossil

Fossils are the preserved remains or trace fossil of animals, plants, and other organisms from the remote past. The totality of fossils, both discovered and undiscovered, and their placement in fossiliferous Rock formations and sedimentary rock layers is known as the fossil record....
 record in South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 is generally poor, the known tinamiform fossil record goes back 10 million years. Together with the ratites, they make up Palaeognathae ("old jaws"), while all other living birds are members of Neognathae
Neognathae

Neognaths are birds within the subclass Neornithes of the class Aves. The Neognathae include virtually all living birds; their sister taxon Paleognathae contains the tinamous - their only order capable of flight - as well as the flightless ratites....
 ("new jaws"). Along with the other palaeognathes, tinamids have no keel on their sternum
Sternum

The sternum is a long flat bone located in the center of the chest . It connects to the rib via cartilage, forming the rib cage with them, and thus helps to protect the lungs, heart and major blood vessels from physical trauma....
 and a distinctive palate
Palate

The palate is the roof of the mouth in humans and vertebrate animals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior bony hard palate, and the posterior fleshy soft palate or velum....
.

Recently, a phylogenomic
Phylogenomics

Phylogenomics can be regarded as the intersection between the fields of evolution and genomics . The term has been used in multiple ways to refer to some type of analysis involving genome data and evolutionary reconstructions, especially phylogenetics....
 study of avians
Avians

Not to be confused with Aves'Avians' are a winged Race in several strategy game and role-playing games....
 surprisingly showed tinamids as the sister group of Australasia
Australasia

Australasia is a region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes ....
n/Oceania
Oceania

Oceania is a geography, often geopolitics, region consisting of numerous lands—mostly islands in the Pacific Ocean and vicinity. The term "Oceania" was coined in 1831 by French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville....
n ratites (cassowaries
Cassowary

The cassowary is a very large flightless bird native to the tropical forests of New Guinea and nearby islands, and northeastern Australia. The Southern Cassowary is the third tallest and second heaviest bird on the planet, smaller only than the Ostrich and Emu....
, emu
Emu

The Emu , Dromaius novaehollandiae, is the largest bird native to Australia and the only Extant taxon member of the genus Dromaius. It is also the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich....
s, and kiwi
Kiwi

A kiwi is any of the species of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand of the genus Apteryx . At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites....
), with South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
n ratites (rhea
Rhea

Rhea commonly refers to:* Rhea , moon of Saturn* Rhea , a Titan in Greek mythologyRhea may also refer to:...
s) and Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
n ratites (ostrich
Ostrich

The ostrich Struthio camelus is a large flightless bird native to Africa . It is the only living species of its family , Struthionidae, and its genus, Struthio....
es) as successive outgroup
Outgroup

In cladistics, whenever three or more monophyletic groups of organisms are compared, and all but one of them are more closely related to each other than any single one of them is to the last, the latter group is known as the outgroup....
s.

Species in taxonomic order

FAMILY: TINAMIDAE
  • Genus: Tinamus
    Tinamus

    Tinamus is a genus of birds in the Tinamou family. This genus is comprised of some of the larger members of this South American family.The species in taxonomic order are:...
    • White-throated Tinamou
      White-throated Tinamou

      The White-throated Tinamou, Tinamus guttatus is a species of bird native to the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, northern Bolivia, southeastern Colombia, northeastern Ecuador, eastern Peru and southern Venezuela....
      ,       Tinamus guttatus
    • Grey Tinamou
      Grey Tinamou

      The Grey Tinamou is a type of ground bird found throughout western and northern Brazil, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, [Colombia]] east of the Andes, northern Venezuela, northern Bolivia, and Guyana....
      ,       Tinamus tao
    • Solitary Tinamou
      Solitary Tinamou

      The Solitary Tinamou Tinamus solitarius is a species of paleognath ground bird. This species is native to Atlantic forest of eastern Brazil....
      ,       Tinamus solitarius
      • T. s. pernambucensis
      • T. s. solitarius
    • Black Tinamou
      Black Tinamou

      The Black Tinamou Tinamus osgoodi is a type of ground bird found in lowland and montane humid forest up to altitude....
      ,       Tinamus osgoodi
      • T. o. hershkovitzi
      • T. o. osgoodi
    • Great Tinamou
      Great Tinamou

      The Great Tinamou Tinamus major, also called Mountain hen is a species of tinamou ground bird native to Central America and South America....
      ,       Tinamus major
      • T. m. percautus
      • T. m. robustus
      • T. m. fuscipennis
      • T. m. castaneiceps
      • T. m. brunniventris
      • T. m. saturatus
      • T. m. latifrons
      • T. m. zuliensis
      • T. m. major
      • T. m. olivascens
      • T. m. peruvianus
      • T. m. serratus
  • Genus: Nothocercus
    Nothocercus

    Nothocercus is a genus of birds in the Tinamou family, that are Ratites. Most Ratites are flightless birds, with Tinamous being the exception, as they can fly, albeit, not too well....
    • Highland Tinamou
      Highland Tinamou

      The Highland Tinamou or Bonaparte's Tinamou, Nothocercus bonapartei is a type of ground bird found in montane moist forest typically over altitude....
      , Nothocercus bonapartei
      • N. b. frantzii
      • N. b. bonapartei
      • N. b. discrepans
      • N. b. intercedens
      • N. b. plumbeiceps
    • Tawny-breasted Tinamou
      Tawny-breasted Tinamou

      The Tawny-breasted Tinamou Nothocercus julius is a type of ground bird found in montane moist forest. Their range is northwestern South America....
      , Nothocercus julius
    • Hooded Tinamou
      Hooded Tinamou

      The Hooded Tinamou Nothocercus nigrocapillus is a type of ground bird found in forests of Bolivia and Peru....
      , Nothocercus nigrocapillus
      • N. n. cadwaladeri
      • N. n. nigrocapillus
  • Genus: Crypturellus
    Crypturellus

    Crypturellus is a genus of tinamous....
    • Berlepsch's Tinamou
      Berlepsch's Tinamou

      The Berlepsch's Tinamou Crypturellus berlepschi is a type of ground bird found in moist forest in northwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador....
      ,       Crypturellus berlepschi
    • Little Tinamou
      Little Tinamou

      The Little Tinamou, Crypturellus soui, is located in Central America and South America.....
      ,       Crypturellus soui
      • C. s. meserythrus
      • C. s. modestus
      • C. s. capnodes
      • C. s. poliocephalus
      • C. s. caucae
      • C. s. harterti
      • C. s. mustelinus
      • C. s. caqueta
      • C. s. nigriceps
      • C. s. soui
      • C. s. albigularis
      • C. s. inconspicuus
      • C. s. andrei
      • C. s. panamensis
    • Cinereous Tinamou
      Cinereous Tinamou

      The Cinereous Tinamou Crypturellus cinereus is a type of ground bird found in swamp and lowland forests in northern South America. Cinereous Tinamou?s have been around for many centuries....
      ,       Crypturellus cinereus
    • Tepui Tinamou
      Tepui Tinamou

      The Tepui Tinamou Crypturellus ptaritepui is a type of ground bird found in montane moist forest on tepuis, in southeastern Venezuela....
      ,       Crypturellus ptaritepui
    • Brown Tinamou
      Brown Tinamou

      The Brown Tinamou is a dumpy, brownish ground bird found in humid lowland and montane forest in tropical and subtropical South America....
      ,       Crypturellus obsoletus
      • C. o. obsoletus
      • C. o. griseiventris
      • C. o. hypochraceus
      • C. o. punensis
      • C. o. traylori
      • C. o. ochraceiventris
      • C. o. castaneus
      • C. o. knoxi
      • C. o. cerviniventris
    • Undulated Tinamou
      Undulated Tinamou

      The Undulated Tinamou Crypturellus undulatus is a type of ground bird commonly found in lowland moist forest of eastern and northern South America....
      ,       Crypturellus undulatus
      • C. u. undulatus
      • C. u. manapiare
      • C. u. simplex
      • C. u. adspersus
      • C. u. yapura
      • C. u. vermiculatus
    • Pale-browed Tinamou
      Pale-browed Tinamou

      The Pale-browed Tinamou Crypturellus transfasciatus is a type of Tinamou found in tropical dry forests in Peru and Ecuador. Etymology...
      ,       Crypturellus transfasciatus
    • Brazilian Tinamou
      Brazilian Tinamou

      The Brazilian Tinamou, Crypturellus strigulosus, is a type of Tinamou found in lowland moist forest in subtropical and tropical regions of Amazon South America....
      ,       Crypturellus strigulosus
    • Grey-legged Tinamou
      Grey-legged Tinamou

      The Grey-legged Tinamou, Crypturellus duidae, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in lowlands of dry shrubland or forests in subtropical and tropical regions of northern South America.....
      ,       Crypturellus duidae
    • Red-legged Tinamou
      Red-legged Tinamou

      The Red-legged Tinamou or Red-footed Tinamou,Crypturellus erythropus, is a dumpy, ground-dwelling bird found in the tropics and lower subtropics of northern South America.....
      ,       Crypturellus erythropus
      • C. e. erythropus
      • C. e. cursitans
      • C. e. spencei
      • C. e. margaritae
      • Magdalena Tinamou
        Magdalena Tinamou

        The Magdalena Tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus saltuarius, is a member of one of the most ancient bird families, the tinamous. It is Endemism to Colombia, and has been considered possibly extinct, as there are no confirmed records since the type specimen was collected in 1943....
        ,         C. (erythropus) saltuarius (taxonomic status presently unclear) SACC
        American Ornithologists' Union

        The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithology organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birdwatching....
         in 2006 did not approve the split, BLI
        BLI

        BLI may refer to:* Bellingham International Airport* BirdLife International...
         followed suit.
      • Santa Marta Tinamou
        Santa Marta Tinamou

        The Santa Marta Tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus idoneus, is a sub-species of Tinamou that was recognized as a species by most authorities until 2006....
        ,         C. (erythropus) idoneus (taxonomic status presently unclear) SACC
        American Ornithologists' Union

        The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithology organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birdwatching....
         in 2006 did not approve the split, BLI
        BLI

        BLI may refer to:* Bellingham International Airport* BirdLife International...
         followed suit.
      • Colombian Tinamou
        Colombian Tinamou

        The Colombian Tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus columbianus, is a tinamou found in C?rdoba Department, Sucre Department, Bol?var Department, and Antioquia Department in north-central Colombia....
        ,         C. (erythropus) columbianus (taxonomic status presently unclear) SACC
        American Ornithologists' Union

        The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithology organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birdwatching....
         in 2006 did not approve the split, BLI
        BLI

        BLI may refer to:* Bellingham International Airport* BirdLife International...
         followed suit.
    • Yellow-legged Tinamou
      Yellow-legged Tinamou

      The Yellow-legged Tinamou is a type of Tinamou found in tropical and subtropical eastern Brazil....
      ,       Crypturellus noctivagus
      • C. n. noctivagus
      • C. n. zabele
    • Black-capped Tinamou
      Black-capped Tinamou

      The Black-capped Tinamou, Crypturellus atrocapillus, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in the moist forest lowlands in subtropical and tropical regions....
      ,       Crypturellus atrocapillus
      • C. a. atrocapillus
      • C. a. garleppi
    • Thicket Tinamou
      Thicket Tinamou

      The Thicket Tinamou or Rufescent Tinamou, Crypturellus cinnamomeus, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in moist forests in subtropical and tropical Central Mexico....
      ,       Crypturellus cinnamomeus
      • C. c. cinnamomeus
      • C. c. occidentalis
      • C. c. mexicanus
      • C. c. sallaei
      • C. c. goldmani
      • C. c. soconuscensis
      • C. c. vicinior
      • C. c. delattrei
      • C. c. praepes
    • Slaty-breasted Tinamou
      Slaty-breasted Tinamou

      The Slaty-breasted Tinamou or Boucard's Tinamou, Crypturellus boucardi, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in lowland moist forest of Central America....
      ,       Crypturellus boucardi also known as       Boucard’s Tinamou
      • C. b. boucardi
      • C. b. costaricensis
    • Choco Tinamou
      Choco Tinamou

      The Choco Tinamou or Choc? Tinamou, Crypturellus kerriae, is a type of Tinamou found in lowland forest and montane forest in subtropical and tropical regions of Colombia and Panama....
      ,       Crypturellus kerriae
    • Variegated Tinamou
      Variegated Tinamou

      The Variegated Tinamou, Crypturellus variegatus, a type of Tinamou commonly found in moist forest lowlands in subtropical and tropical regions of northern South America....
      ,       Crypturellus variegatus
    • Rusty Tinamou
      Rusty Tinamou

      The Rusty Tinamou or Short-billed Tinamou, Crypturellus brevirostris, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in swamp forest in tropical regions of South America.....
      ,       Crypturellus brevirostris also known as       Short-billed Tinamou
    • Bartlett's Tinamou
      Bartlett's Tinamou

      The Bartlett's Tinamou Crypturellus bartletti is a type of Tinamou commonly found in lowland forest in South America....
      ,       Crypturellus bartletti
    • Small-billed Tinamou
      Small-billed Tinamou

      The Small-billed Tinamou Crypturellus parvirostris is a type of Tinamou commonly found in dry savanna in Amazonian South America....
      ,       Crypturellus parvirostris
    • Barred Tinamou
      Barred Tinamou

      The Barred Tinamou, Crypturellus casiquiare, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in lowland moist forest in subtropical and tropical regions of northern South America....
      ,       Crypturellus casiquiare
    • Tataupa Tinamou
      Tataupa Tinamou

      The Tataupa Tinamou, Crypturellus tataupa, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in dry forest in subtropical and tropical regions in southeastern South America....
      ,       Crypturellus tataupa
      • C. t. tataupa
      • C. t. inops
      • C. t. peruviana
      • C. t. lepidotus
  • Genus: Rhynchotus
    Rhynchotus

    Rhynchotus is a genus of birds in the Tinamou family. This genus comprises two members of this South American family....
    • Red-winged Tinamou
      Red-winged Tinamou

      The Red-winged Tinamou, Rhynchotus rufescens, is a medium-sized ground-living bird from central and eastern South America....
      , Rhynchotus rufescens
      • R. r. rufescens
      • R. r. catingae
      • R. r. pallescens
    • Huayco Tinamou
      Huayco Tinamou

      The Huayco Tinamou, Rhynchotus maculicollis, is a type of Tinamou found on grassy mountain ridges in the Andes of Bolivia and Argentina....
      , Rhynchotus maculicollis
  • Genus: Nothoprocta
    Nothoprocta

    Nothoprocta is a genus of birds belonging to the tinamou family Tinamidae. They inhabit scrubland, grassland and open woodland in western South America, particularly in the Andes....
    • Taczanowski's Tinamou
      Taczanowski's Tinamou

      The Taczanowski's Tinamou, Nothoprocta taczanowskii, is a type of ground bird found in the eastern Andes in Peru; Jun?n Region, Cusco Region, Apur?mac Region, Ayacucho Region, and Puno Region Regions....
      ,       Nothoprocta taczanowskii
    • Ornate Tinamou
      Ornate Tinamou

      The Ornate Tinamou, Nothoprocta ornata, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in the high altitude grassland and dry shrubland in subtropical and tropical regions of west central South America....
      ,       Nothoprocta ornata
      • N. o. ornata
      • N. o. branickii
      • N. o. rostrata
    • Chilean Tinamou
      Chilean Tinamou

      The Chilean Tinamou, Nothoprocta perdicaria, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in high altitude shrubland in subtropical and tropical regions of central Chile...
      ,       Nothoprocta perdicaria
      • N. p. perdicaria
      • N. p. sanborni
    • Brushland Tinamou
      Brushland Tinamou

      The Brushland Tinamou, Nothoprocta cinerascens, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in high altitude dry shrubland in subtropical and tropical regions of southern South America....
      ,       Nothoprocta cinerascens
      • N. c. cinerascens
      • N. c. parvimaculata
    • Andean Tinamou
      Andean Tinamou

      The Andean Tinamou, Nothoprocta pentlandii, is a member of the most ancient groups of bird families, the Tinamous. The species is commonly found in high altitude shrubland, in the Andes of South America....
      ,       Nothoprocta pentlandii
      • N. p. pentlandii
      • N. p. ambigua
      • N. p. oustaleti
      • N. p. niethammeri
      • N. p. fulvescens
      • N. p. doeringi
      • N. p. mendozae
    • Curve-billed Tinamou
      Curve-billed Tinamou

      The Curve-billed Tinamou, Nothoprocta curvirostris, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in high altitude grassland and shrubland habitats in the Andes of South America....
      ,       Nothoprocta curvirostris
      • N. c. curvirostris
      • N. c. peruviana
  • Genus: Nothura
    Nothura

    Nothura is a genus of birds in the tinamou family. This genus comprises five members of this South American family....
    • White-bellied Nothura
      White-bellied Nothura

      The White-bellied Nothura, Nothura boraquira, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in lowland dry shrubland habitats in southeastern South America....
      , Nothura boraquira
    • Lesser Nothura
      Lesser Nothura

      The Lesser Nothura is a type of Tinamou found in lowland dry grassland habitats in subtropical and tropical regions of southeastern South America....
      , Nothura minor
    • Darwin's Nothura
      Darwin's Nothura

      The Darwin's Nothura, Nothura darwinii, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in high altitude grassland in the southern Andes in South America....
      , Nothura darwinii
      • N. d. darwinii
      • N. d. peruviana
      • N. d. agassizii
      • N. d. boliviana
      • N. d. salvadorii
    • Spotted Nothura
      Spotted Nothura

      The Spotted Nothura, Nothura maculosa, is a tinamou species. This bird is native to the warmer parts of central and southern South America east of the Andes....
      , Nothura maculosa
      • N. m. maculosa
      • N. m. cearensis
      • N. m. major
      • N. m. paludivaga
      • N. m. pallida
      • N. m. annectens
      • N. m. submontana
      • N. m. nigroguttata
    • Chaco Nothura
      Chaco Nothura

      The Chaco Nothura, Nothura chacoensis, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in brushland in Argentina and Paraguay....
      , Nothura chacoensis
    • Dwarf Tinamou
      Dwarf Tinamou

      The Dwarf Tinamou, Taoniscus nanus, also known as the Least Tinamou, is a small, partridge-like bird with short tail and wings....
      , Taoniscus nanus also known as Least Tinamou
  • Genus: Eudromia
    Eudromia

    Eudromia is a genus of birds in the tinamou family. This genus comprises two crested members of this South American family.Etymology...
    • Elegant Crested Tinamou
      Elegant Crested Tinamou

      The Elegant Crested Tinamou or Martineta Tinamou, Eudromia elegans, is a medium-sized tinamou that can be found in southern Chile and Argentina in shrubland....
      ,       Eudromia elegans
      • E. e. elegans
      • E. e. intermedia
      • E. e. magnistriata
      • E. e. riojana
      • E. e. albida
      • E. e. multiguttata
      • E. e. devia
      • E. e. patagonica
    • Quebracho Crested Tinamou
      Quebracho Crested Tinamou

      The Quebracho Crested Tinamou, Eudromia formosa, is a species of tinamou found in dry forest habitats in Paraguay and northern Argentina in South America....
      ,       Eudromia formosa
  • Genus: Tinamotis
    Tinamotis

    Tinamotis is a genus of birds in the tinamou family....
    • Puna Tinamou
      Puna Tinamou

      The Puna Tinamou, Tinamotis pentlandii also known as Pentland?s Tinamou is a member of the most ancient groups of bird families, the tinamous....
      , Tinamotis pentlandii also known as Pentland’s Tinamou
    • Patagonian Tinamou
      Patagonian Tinamou

      The Patagonian Tinamou, Tinamotis ingoufi, also known as Ingouf?s Tinamou is a member of the most ancient group of bird families, the tinamous....
      , Tinamotis ingoufi also known as Ingouf’s Tinamou


Description

They are slender and compact birds, with a small head and a short slender bill, that is downward curving. The smallest species, the Dwarf Tinamou
Dwarf Tinamou

The Dwarf Tinamou, Taoniscus nanus, also known as the Least Tinamou, is a small, partridge-like bird with short tail and wings....
, is about and long. The largest tinamou, the Gray Tinamou, weighs and measures up to long. They have very small wings, but unlike other ratites, they can fly, albeit poorly. They have three forward facing toes, and their hind toe is higher and either retrogressed or absent. Their tail is short and sometimes hidden behind coverts, and some of Tinamou have crests. Also, unlike other ratites, they have preen gland. Plumage doesn't differ between sexes, except a few that have brighter females.

Range and habitat

There are 47 species of tinamou in South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 and north to Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
, not much further than the Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer

The Tropic of Cancer, or Northern tropic, is one of five major degree measures or major circle of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It is the northernmost latitude at which the Sun can appear directly overhead at noon....
, and one species on Easter Island
Easter Island

Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeastern most point of the Polynesian triangle. The island is a special territory of Chile....
. They occur in a wide range of habitats. Tinamus, Nothocercus, and Cryptuerellus live in the dense forests, and most of the others live on grassland, puna
Puna

Puna may refer to:* Puna , one of the eight physiographic regions of Peru* Puna , the king of Hiti-marama or of Vavau in the Tuamotu legend of Rata...
, montane
Montane

Montane is a biogeography term which refers to highland areas located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals....
, and savanna
Savanna

A savanna, or savannah, is a tropical, subtropical or temperate woodland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the Canopy does not close....
, at high altitude.

Behavior

Tinamous are rarely seen, but often heard within their range. They prefer to walk or run and will fly rarely in dangerous situations. When they have exhausted all other techniques including hiding in burrows, they may fly. Their technique is a flutter of wing-beats followed by a long glide, followed by another burst of wing-beats. Although some species are quite common, they are shy and secretive. A small number of species live in more open, grassy country, but even these are wary.. Tinamous have a wide variety of calls, but one thing they have in common is their beauty.

Reproduction

Tinamous lay several eggs in a ground nest lined with grass and leaves, and the male will incubate the eggs. He will leave the nest to feed, and he may be gone from 45 minutes to 5 hours. Typically, the male will not cover the eggs when he leaves to feed, even though the eggs are not camoflauged. In most Tinamou species, the male is polygamous and the female is polyandrous. The eggs are attractively coloured, in a single colour and have a hard gloss like porcelain
Porcelain

Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and ....
. The young are precocial
Precocial

In Biology, the term precocial refers to species in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. The opposite developmental strategy is called "altricial", where the young are born helpless....
, and can run almost as soon as they hatch. Scientist believe that they are self-sufficient within 20 days.

Feeding

Tinamous mainly eat small fruits and seeds off the ground or off of plants that are close to the ground. They can jump to reach their food. They also will eat buds, blossoms, tender leaves and roots, as well as insects and their larvae, worms, and mollusks. Small animals will be eaten whole, whereas larger ones will be beaten against the ground or pecked. When sifting through leaves, they use their bill and not their feet, and even will use it to sift through soil .

Conservation

7 of the 47 species are classified as other than Least Concern
Least Concern

Least Concern is an World Conservation Union category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category....
, with 5 Vulnerable
Vulnerable

Vulnerable may refer to:*Vulnerability*Vulnerable species* Vulnerable , by Tricky* Vulnerable * Vulnerable ...
 and 2 Near Threatened
Near Threatened

Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened species with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status....
. The major reason behind their status is habitat fragmentation and enchroachment.

Significance to humans

Tinamous are hunted by humans throughout their range, to little negative impact on their population.

Footnotes


External links

  • on the Internet Bird Collection
  • on the xeno canto collection