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55-516: Tinamous ( / ˈ t ɪ n ə m uː z / ) are members of the order Tinamiformes ( / ˌ t ɪ n ə m ə ˈ f ɔːr m iː z / ), and family Tinamidae ( / t ə ˈ n æ m ə d iː / ), divided into two distinct subfamilies , containing 46 species found in Mexico , Central America , and South America . The word "tinamou" comes from the Galibi term for these birds, tinamu . Tinamous are

110-417: A dense patch of grass; in forest, at the base of a tree trunk between the buttresses. The highland tinamou is unique in that it sites its nest in a cavity or under an overhanging rock on a steep slope. Many species do not build a nest, choosing to lay their eggs on a thin bed of leaves. Other species do construct nests and are meticulous in doing so. The nest of the ornate tinamou is circular and made of grass on

165-426: A few have long bills. Females are usually larger than the males. The smallest species, the dwarf tinamou, weighs about 43 g (1.5 oz) with a length of 14.5 cm (5.7 in). Females of the largest, the grey tinamou, weigh up to 2 kg (4.4 lb) with a length of up to 49 cm (19 in). Their feet have three forward-facing toes; a hind toe is either higher and retrogressed, or absent. The back of

220-585: A few possess an alarm call. Tinamous are exclusively neotropical and all 47 species live in South America, Mexico, and Central America. The range of the northernmost species extends to Mexico but not much further north than the Tropic of Cancer . Chilean tinamous have been introduced to Easter Island . The greatest concentration of species is in the tropics, and in particular the Amazon Basin . In

275-555: A sharp 90° turn immediately before touching down. Although tinamous are diurnal , many species become less active in the middle of the day. They rest or feed during this period, while during the night they will cease all activity. They are wary of the dark; they roost at night and have been known to roost during solar eclipses . Roosting of the larger forest species, such as those in Tinamus , occurs in trees. They prefer horizontal branches approximately 2–5 m (6.6–16.4 ft) off

330-442: A single color, and have a hard porcelain -like gloss. Colors vary with species, ranging through green, purple, violet, turquoise, steel grey, chocolate and lemon-yellow. White is rare, but does occur. Though the eggs are bright and colorful when laid, over time they fade and become duller. For example, the egg of the red-winged tinamou dulls from purple to leaden. Most tinamou eggs are solid colored, without spots or speckling; however,

385-603: A study by Lukas Musher and collaborators published in 2024. Nothocercus – 3 species Tinamus – 5 species Crypturellus – 21 species Tinamotis – 2 species Eudromia – 2 species Nothura – 5 species (including dwarf tinamou ( Taoniscus nanus )) Rhynchotus – 2 species Nothoprocta – 6 species Conservation status key : Order Tinamiformes Huxley 1872 [Crypturi Goodchild 1891 ; Dromaeomorphae Huxley 1867 ] Family Tinamidae Tinamous are plump, compact birds with slender necks, small heads and, usually, short, decurved bills , though

440-412: A tail to serve as rudder or counterweight, tinamous are notoriously poor at steering. They regularly crash into objects on attempting to take off, sometimes with fatal consequences. They rarely fly more than 150 m (490 ft) and typically do so downslope where the terrain allows. They land in an upright position with upstretched neck. Some species will land running. The brushland tinamou will perform

495-462: A tool is integral. Each species has its own unique call or calls. The solitary tinamou has 11 different vocalizations. In most species both sexes call; some have different calls for males and females. Females tend to have deeper voices. Some species, in particular members of Crypturellus , have regional dialects. Male slaty-breasted tinamous have calls unique enough to be individually recognized by humans. Calls are typically heard more frequently during

550-410: A turf surface. The male brushland tinamou starts to scrape out a nest once copulation has occurred; several may be constructed though only one is used. A tinamou female lays several eggs which the male incubates while the female departs to seek another mate. Large species will lay one egg every 3–4 days, while the smaller ones lay on consecutive days. The females lay eggs in multiple nests throughout

605-613: A variety of habitats , ranging from semi-arid alpine grasslands to tropical rainforests . The two subfamilies are broadly divided by habitat, with the Nothurinae referred to as steppe or open country tinamous, and the Tinaminae known as forest tinamous. Although some species are quite common, tinamous are shy and secretive birds. They are active during the day, retiring to roosts at night. They generally have cryptic plumage, with males and females similar in appearance, though

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660-475: A wide variety of calls. They are among the most characteristic bird vocalizations of South America and Central America, often resembling sounds made by a flute or a whistle. Some calls are uniform and monotone, while others have multiple phrases. They vary in intensity and can often be heard from afar. Trying to locate a bird by its call is not easy. Plains-dwelling tinamous have higher-pitched, more delicate voices. They can also be less melodic, sometimes resembling

715-449: Is an example of a botanical subfamily. Detarioideae is a subdivision of the family Fabaceae (legumes), containing 84 genera. Stevardiinae is an example of a zoological subfamily. Stevardiinae is a large subdivision of the family Characidae , a diverse clade of freshwater fish . This biology article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Symplesiomorphy Too Many Requests If you report this error to

770-491: Is fiercely territorial. In most tinamou species, the males practice simultaneous polygyny and the females sequential polyandry . This is not invariable; ornate tinamous form stable pairs, and spotted nothuras are monogamous when young and polygamous when older. There are larger numbers of females than males; for example, the variegated tinamou has a female to male ratio of 4:1. The breeding season varies from species to species; those that live in tropical forests, where there

825-514: Is little seasonal change, may breed at any time, though there is usually a preferred period. In areas with a marked seasonal fluctuation, tinamous generally breed when food is most abundant, which is usually summer. Studies have shown that it is not day length that determines the onset of breeding, but the amount of light, through cloud cover. The courtship process starts with the male vocally advertising his abilities with continuous calling. He will try to attract multiple females. In Tinamus species

880-449: Is mainly motionless and reluctant to move, even from potential danger. It is possible for a human observer to approach and touch the incubating male without eliciting an overt response. Some species will flatten themselves against the ground, stretch out their necks, and raise their backs to the air. This posture causes them to resemble a plant; however, if it is overdone, the eggs become visible from behind. Subfamily Detarioideae

935-467: The Polylepis woodlands into puna grassland . In the puna is another subspecies of Darwin's nothura, Nothura darwinii agassizii , which prefers tussock grassland . Also in the puna is the ornate tinamou which frequents the rocky slopes and cliffs of tola heath . Higher in the puna is the puna tinamou, living just below the snowline at 5,300 m (17,400 ft) as well as in the semi-deserts of

990-755: The Late Miocene Cerro Azul Formation from the Pampean region of central-southern Argentina. Tinamous described from Pliocene material include Eudromia olsoni Tambussi & Tonni, 1985, Nothura parvulus Rovereto, 1914, and Nothura padulosa Mercerat, 1897. The Pliocene fossil genera Cayetornis Brodkorb and Tinamisornis Rovereto have been synonymized with Nothura and Eudromia respectively. Fossils having affinities with several extant genera have been found in Pleistocene deposits. Cladogram of tinamou genera based on

1045-606: The Miocene , but flightless ratite-like taxa from the Paleocene may belong to this group. Several tinamou fossils have been found in the 16–17 Mya Early-Middle Miocene Santa Cruz Formation and the contemporary, or slightly older, Pinturas Formation , in Santa Cruz Province of Argentinian Patagonia , including a tinaminid, Crypturellus reai . Associated fossils indicate that the local palaeoenvironment at

1100-457: The pheasant family is only represented by a few species in the north of the region. They occur in a wide range of habitats. Members of the genera Tinamus , Nothocercus , and Crypturellus live in dense forests, with Nothocercus preferring high altitude, and members of most other genera in grassland, puna , montane forest , and savanna . Tinamotis and Nothoprocta prefer high altitude habitats, up to 5,000 m (16,000 ft), whereas

1155-405: The tarsus is covered with scales, the color of which may aid in identification. Tinamous have a pneumaticized skeleton with a sternal keel , 16–18 cervical vertebrae , and fused thoracic vertebrae . They have poor circulation , evidenced by a greenish tint to the skin. They also have relatively the smallest hearts and lungs of all birds, comprising only 1.6–3.1% of their body weight, whereas

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1210-505: The beginning of this period was characterised by a humid, subtropical climate, with forest vegetation, becoming drier and more open with time. Some of the tinamou fossil material appears to be intermediate between the two subfamilies, suggesting that the period coincides with the origins of the radiation of the Nothurinae into the expanding open-country habitats. Nothurine fossils referrable to Eudromia and Nothura have been found in

1265-427: The bottom of the slopes to feed and drink. Granivorous species will move daily into grain fields with some, such as Darwin's nothura, remaining in the fields until there is no food left. Open country and southern species maintain territories only during the breeding season and at other times seem to wander at random. Tinamous form one of the most terrestrial groups of flying birds, spending virtually all of their time on

1320-402: The breeding season, to being territorial throughout the year. When defending their territories from conspecifics, tinamous are highly vocal, creating a cacophony of sound. When an intruder is noticed, birds of the same sex will confront it. This may lead to conflict, with feet and wings being used in attack. Both males and females will defend their territories; however, in each species only one sex

1375-494: The breeding season. The plumage of the family is cryptic, as is usual with ground birds, with typical colors ranging through dark brown, rufous, buff, yellow and grey. Plumage does not usually differ between sexes, but in a few species females are brighter. The forest dwellers tend to be darker and more uniform, whereas the steppe species are paler with more barring, speckling, or streaking. Tinamous have well-developed powder down feathers ; these grow continuously and disintegrate at

1430-490: The breeding season. With occasional exceptions, a male tinamou maintains a territory and a nesting site during the breeding season which a succession of females will visit, laying their eggs in the same nest. Females will wander through several territories mating with, and laying eggs in the nests of, the resident males. Nests are always on the ground, concealed in vegetation or among rocks. Eggs are relatively large and glossy, often brightly colored when laid, and are incubated by

1485-459: The breeding season. However, the time of day can differ amongst species, as some are more vocal in the morning, others in the evening, and some are more vocal during the heat of midday. Some will call at night from their roosts. Frequency can vary between species and between individuals. One male brushland tinamou called every few minutes from dawn until dusk (over 500 calls daily). Some, in particular Crypturellus species, use regular call sites. Only

1540-446: The breeding season. Some live as mated pairs throughout the year. Steppe or grassland species tend to live in groups, though with little obvious group interaction apart from an occasional contact call . Group size may vary by season; in winter, aggregations of elegant crested tinamous may approach 100 birds. Both steppe and forest species are territorial , though territoriality varies between species from being characteristic only during

1595-429: The chirps of crickets . Forest species tend to have deep, loud calls, suitable for penetrating the vegetation. The male highland tinamou can be heard several kilometres distant through dense forest. When calling, a tinamou extends its neck vertically, tilts its head at an angle, and opens its bill wide. A bird, when flushed, will utter a sharp trill. Identification of tinamous is not an easy task; utilizing their calls as

1650-492: The crown clade stemming from the most recent common ancestor of Tetrao [ Tinamus ] major Gmelin 1789 and all extant birds sharing a more recent ancestor with that species than with Struthio camelus Linnaeus 1758 and Vultur gryphus Linnaeus 1758." Their similarity to other ground-dwelling birds such as partridges and megapodes is a result of convergence and symplesiomorphy rather than shared evolutionary innovations . Of Gondwanan origin, tinamous are allied to

1705-489: The eggs of Tinamotis species may exhibit small white speckles. The benefit of laying brightly colored eggs is unknown, but is not detrimental as most tinamou predators hunt at night. Eggs are relatively large compared to the mass of the female, though even the largest birds produce eggs very similar in size to the smallest of species. Their shapes are either spherical or elliptical; the two ends are similar in shape, and difficult to distinguish. The shells are thin enough to see

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1760-463: The embryos within. Incubation takes about 16 days in Crypturellus , which contains the smallest species, and 19–20 days in Tinamus and Eudromia . During this period the male is typically silent; if he does call, he does so away from the nest. As he incubates, he will leave the nest to feed, and he may be gone from 45 minutes to five hours, covering the eggs when he leaves. While incubating, he

1815-423: The equivalent in a domestic chicken is 12%. Despite their poor flying ability, the percentage of their body mass that is muscle is 28.6–40%, which is similar to that of hummingbirds . The preen gland is small and tufted. The male has a corkscrew shaped penis , similar to those of the other ratites and to the hemipenis of some reptiles. The female has a small phallic organ in the cloaca which becomes larger during

1870-442: The extinct moa of New Zealand; moa are more distantly related to the geographically proximate kiwis, emus and cassowaries than had been previously supposed. These findings imply that flightlessness evolved independently multiple times in ratite evolution. Flight may have been maintained in the tinamou family due to the rhea colonizing South America before ancestral tinamous arrived. The ecological niche for large, flightless herbivores

1925-409: The females are usually larger. They are opportunistic and omnivorous feeders, consuming a wide variety of plant and animal food from fruits and seeds to worms, insects and small vertebrates. They will dust-bathe as well as wash themselves by standing in heavy rain. They are heard more often than seen, communicating with each other by a variety of frequently given, characteristic calls, especially during

1980-604: The flightless ratites, together comprising the Palaeognathae ("old jaws"), while all other living birds are members of Neognathae ("new jaws"). Unlike other palaeognaths, tinamous do have a keeled sternum , but like the other palaeognaths, they have a distinctive palate . It was formerly believed that the Tinamiformes separated from the ratites early on due to their retention of a keeled sternum. The tinamous' possession of powder-down feathers and preen glands , which

2035-410: The ground, choosing sites with good views and clear exits. In order to minimize the effort involved in ascending to their roosts, in hilly terrain they will access them from uphill and, when threatened, will fly downhill to gain more distance from the threat. Tinamous prefer thick branches on which to roost as they do not clutch the branch with their toes, but rest on it with folded legs. They will reuse

2090-576: The ground. They walk silently, pausing frequently in mid-stride. When a potential threat is detected, a tinamou will typically freeze in one of two positions, either crouched or with its neck extended upwards. As far as possible, they will avoid resorting to flight by stealthy walking or running away from danger as well as by concealment in dense vegetation. They may then pause to observe the cause of their alarm from cover. They also hide in burrows. Their cryptic behavior has allowed them to survive or even thrive in areas where guans have been extirpated. Unlike

2145-538: The latter prefers short grass. Further examples of such diversity are found in the Andes, where a small subspecies of Darwin's nothura, Nothura darwinii boliviana , occurs in grassland at about 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level. Here also are the red-winged tinamou which prefers open ground with some scrub, and the Andean tinamou which prefers dense vegetation beside streams. Their habitat extends upslope through

2200-413: The male will lower his chest to the ground, stretch his neck forward, and fluff up his back to appear larger than normal. When observed head on, all of the bird's back is in view while the under-tail coverts are exposed, a pose similar to that used by the rhea . The female will scratch her feet on the ground as part of the ritual. Tinamous always nest on the ground; in open areas, near a bush; in scrub, in

2255-542: The males for a period of 2–3 weeks. The chicks can run soon after hatching and are largely self-sufficient at three weeks old. Tinamous and their eggs have many natural predators, from falcons and vampire bats to jaguars. They have also been extensively hunted by humans and sometimes persecuted as agricultural pests. However, the main threat to their populations is from habitat destruction through land clearing and agricultural development. Seven species are listed as vulnerable and another seven as near-threatened. They feature in

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2310-511: The mythology of the indigenous peoples of their range. Often translocated and easily bred in captivity, they have never been successfully domesticated. The tinamou family consists of 46 extant species in nine genera . The two subfamilies are the Nothurinae (also known as the Rhyncotinae), the steppe tinamous, and the Tinaminae , the forest tinamous. " Tinamidae " was defined as by Gauthier and de Queiroz (2001): " Tinamidae refers to

2365-500: The nesting season. There may be as many as 16 eggs in a clutch , a consequence of several females laying in the same nest. The more mature male will attract more females and may have the eggs of up to four females under him. The variegated and ornate tinamous have single-female nests, and consequently only one or two eggs per nest. This may result from food shortage in their ranges and the consequent ability to care for only one or two chicks. The eggs are fairly deeply colored, usually in

2420-497: The north, they tend to be forest or woodland birds, while in the south they prefer open habitats. Tinamous form the dominant group of terrestrial birds in South America, where they largely replace the Galliformes ecologically, with no other bird family there having comparable diversity, distribution, or suite of habitat adaptations. Rheas are only found in open country, curassows and guans are generally limited to forests, and

2475-554: The only living group of palaeognaths able to fly, and were traditionally regarded as the sister group of the flightless ratites , but recent work places them well within the ratite radiation as most closely related to the extinct moa of New Zealand, implying flightlessness emerged among ratites multiple times. Tinamous first appear in the fossil record in the Miocene epoch. They are generally sedentary, ground-dwelling and, though not flightless, when possible avoid flight in favour of hiding or running away from danger. They are found in

2530-574: The other ratites lack, was another source of confusion in evaluating their taxonomy. The tinamou family has been shown to be monophyletic . Phylogenomic studies have placed it as the sister group to extant Australasian and Oceanian ratites (i.e. the cassowaries , emus , and kiwis ), thus putting it well within the ratite phylogenetic tree, with the South American rheas and African ostriches as successive outgroups . Research published starting in 2010 has found that tinamous are closest to

2585-582: The other steppe tinamous have a wide altitude range. Tinamous inhabit most parts of South and Central America, as well as the tropical regions of Mexico, with the exception of aquatic, snow-covered, and true desert habitats, and the southernmost tip of Patagonia . Behavioral and ecological separation of tinamou species is evident where their ranges overlap through the utilization of different food sources and occupation of limited micro-habitats. These micro-habitats are not always easy to identify, and are highly vulnerable to environmental changes. Some species, such as

2640-452: The red-winged tinamou, utilize multiple habitats such as the open savannas of Amazonia and the dry valleys of the Andes. Similarly, brown tinamous occur in both the Amazon basin and the humid montane forests on the Andean slope. Panama provides examples of ecological separation. The highland tinamou occupies the highlands throughout the country. The great tinamou prefers the rainforests on

2695-431: The related ratites, tinamous can fly, though poorly and reluctantly, preferring to walk or run . When forced to take to the air, they do so only for short distances at high speed. Their small wings give them a high wing loading . They take off with rapid and noisy wing beats, until they have gained sufficient altitude, then glide while slipping sideways, with an occasional further burst of flapping. Due to their near lack of

2750-527: The same locations and avoid defecating nearby to avoid advertising the roost site to predators. The smaller forest species, along with the steppe tinamous, will roost on the ground, sometimes in the shelter of a bush. They will also use the same location repeatedly; known examples are the elegant crested and ornate tinamous. Tinamous, depending on the species, may be solitary or social and gather in groups. Gregariousness also varies by season. Forest species tend to be solitary and may only approach other birds during

2805-412: The slaty-breasted tinamou, maintain large home ranges through which they move in apparently random patterns. The male brushland tinamou maintains a home territory of 20 ha (49 acres), but will occasionally wander outside it into those of his neighbors. Females will wander throughout multiple males' territories. The ornate tinamou lives mainly upslope in hilly puna grassland but will move each morning to

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2860-499: The slopes. The Choco tinamou also likes the rainforest, but is limited to the south-east of the country. Finally, the little tinamou is found in dense secondary forest on either the Pacific or Atlantic slope above 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Size difference allows the red-winged tinamou and the spotted nothura to coexist, as they both occupy the same habitat of Brazil, the tropical savanna . The former prefers long grass pastures, while

2915-434: The southern Altiplano . Tinamous are largely sedentary birds. Forest-dwelling tinamous will move short distances if climatic conditions, such as intense rain, flooding or drought force them to. Most Amazonian species will move between the varzea forests and dry land depending on water levels. The puna tinamou occupies high ridges in the Andes but, in bad weather, will move down to the valley floors. Forest species, such as

2970-526: The tips into a powder that is spread through the rest of the feathers by preening . This gives the plumage a glossy appearance as well as waterproofing it. Their tails are short, sometimes hidden behind the coverts , and possibly indicative of an ability to sacrifice feathers to a predator in order to escape when grasped. Some tinamous have crests . Members of Eudromia have the most developed crests and, when excited, will direct them forward. Tinamous are rarely seen but often heard within their range and have

3025-433: Was thus already occupied, forcing tinamous to retain smaller-bodied, omnivorous, and volant lifestyles. Flight-capable lithornithids from the Paleocene and Eocene epochs appear to have been structurally the most similar precursors to the tinamous, and may have been ancestral to them as well as to the ratites, though their precise relationships are unclear. The earliest unequivocally Tinamiforme fossil material dates from

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