The tinamous are a family

Family

In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...

 comprising 47 species of birds found in Central

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

 and South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

. One of the most ancient living groups of bird

Bird

Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...

, they 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 the name from the Latin ratis...

s. Generally ground dwelling, they are found in a range of habitat

Habitat

* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

s.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

The family

Family

In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...

 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. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 in 9 genera

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

. They range in size from the Dwarf Tinamou

Dwarf Tinamou

The Dwarf Tinamou also known as the Least Tinamou, is a small, partridge-like bird with short tail and wings.- Description :...

 at 15 cm (6 in) and 42 grams (1.5 oz) to the Gray Tinamou at 48 cm (17 in) and 1.6 kg (3.7 lbs). Although they look similar to other ground-dwelling birds like quail

Quail

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...

 and grouse

Grouse

Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are sometimes considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae...

, the characters they share are the result of convergence

Convergent evolution

Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...

 and plesiomorphy rather than shared evolutionary innovations

Synapomorphy

In cladistics, a synapomorphy or synapomorphic character is a trait that is shared by two or more taxa and their most recent common ancestor, whose ancestor in turn does not possess the trait. A synapomorphy is thus an apomorphy visible in multiple taxa, where the trait in question originates in...

. Tinamids have no closer living relatives than the flightless ratites, and thus are placed in their own order

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

, Tinamiformes. Their taxonomic

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...

 names are based on the Galibi word for these birds, tinamu.

"Tinamidae" was defined as by Gauthier and de Queiroz (2001): "Tinamidae refers to the crown clade stemming from the most recent common ancestor of Tetrao [Tinamus

Tinamus

Tinamus is a genus of birds in the Tinamou family. This genus comprises 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 that species than with Struthio camelus Linnaeus 1758 and Vultur gryphus Linnaeus 1758."

Of Gondwana

Gondwana

In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...

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 the name from the Latin ratis...

s. Although the fossil record in South America 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 Palaeognathae contains the tinamous and the flightless ratites....

 ("new jaws"). Unlike other palaeognaths, tinamids do have a keeled sternum

Sternum

The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bony plate shaped like a capital "T" located anteriorly to the heart in the center of the thorax...

, but like the other palaeognaths they have a distinctive palate

Palate

The palate is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but, in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separate. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior...

.

Recent 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. It is an expansion of earlier phylogenetics...

 studies have shown tinamids as the sister group to Australasian and Oceanian ratites (i.e., cassowaries

Cassowary

The cassowaries are ratites, very large flightless birds in the genus Casuarius native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. There are three extant species recognized today...

, emu

Emu

The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...

s, and kiwi

Kiwi

Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...

), with South American rhea

Rhea (bird)

The rheas are ratites in the genus Rhea, native to South America. There are two existing species: the Greater or American Rhea and the Lesser or Darwin's Rhea. The genus name was given in 1752 by Paul Möhring and adopted as the English common name. Möhring's reason for choosing this name, from the...

s and Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

n ostrich

Ostrich

The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...

es as successive outgroup

Outgroup

In cladistics or phylogenetics, an outgroup is a group of organisms that serves as a reference group for determination of the evolutionary relationship among three or more monophyletic groups of organisms....

s. Tinamids themselves were shown to be monophyletic.

Tinamous are divided into two subfamilies, Nothurinae

Nothurinae

Nothurinae or aridland Tinamous is a subfamily of the Tinamidae family. It contains six genera.The six genera are:* Rhynchotus* Nothoprocta* Nothura* Taoniscus* Eudromia* Tinamotis-Description:...

, the aridland tinamous, and Tinaminae

Tinaminae

Tinaminae, the forest tinamous, is a subfamily of the family Tinamidae. It contains three genera, which are:* Crypturellus* Nothocercus* Tinamus-Description:...

, forest tinamous.

Description

Tinamous are slender and compact birds with a small head and a short, slender bill

Beak

The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...

 that is downward curving. The smallest species, the Dwarf Tinamou

Dwarf Tinamou

The Dwarf Tinamou also known as the Least Tinamou, is a small, partridge-like bird with short tail and wings.- Description :...

, is about 43 g (1.5 oz) and 20 cm (7.9 in) long. The largest tinamou, the Gray Tinamou, weighs 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) and measures up to 53 cm (20.9 in) long. They have very small wings, but unlike other ratites, they can fly, albeit poorly. They have three forward-facing toes and fourth hind toe is higher and either retrogressed or absent. Their tail is short and sometimes hidden behind coverts and some tinamous have crests. Unlike other ratites, they have a preen gland. Plumage does not usually differ between sexes, but in a few species females are brighter.

Range and habitat

All 47 species of tinamous live South and Central America. The northernmost species range to Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional 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...

 but not much further than the Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Cancer

The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith...

. One species

Chilean Tinamou

The Chilean Tinamou, Nothoprocta perdicaria, is a type of tinamou commonly found in high altitude shrubland in subtropical regions of central Chile.-Etymology:...

 has been introduced to Easter Island

Easter Island

Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...

. They occur in a wide range of habitats. Members of the genera Tinamus, Nothocercus, and Cryptuerellus live in dense forests, and members most of other genera live on grassland, puna

Puna

Puna may refer to:* Puna grassland, a type of grassland in the central part of the high Andes* Puna , the king of Hiti-marama or of Vavau in the Tuamotu legend of Rata* Puna , a type of wind in the Andes...

, montane

Montane

In biogeography, montane is the highland area 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.The term "montane" means "of the...

, and savanna

Savanna

A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...

 at high altitude.

Behavior

Tinamous prefer to walk or run

Cursorial

Cursorial is a biological term that describes an organism as being adapted specifically to run. It is typically used in conjunction with an animal's feeding habits or another important adaptation. For example, a horse can be considered a "cursorial grazer", while a wolf may be considered a...

 but will fly

Fly

True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...

 to avoid predation and other danger. When they have exhausted all other evasion 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.

Tinamous are rarely seen but often heard within their range. 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 of humans. Tinamous have a wide variety of calls.

Reproduction

Tinamous lay several eggs

Egg (biology)

An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...

 in a ground nest

Bird nest

A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...

 lined with grass

Grass

Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...

 and leaves

Leaves

-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...

, 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 camouflage

Camouflage

Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...

d. 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 or hatched helpless. Extremely precocial species may be called...

, 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 near the ground. They can jump 10 cm (3.9 in) to reach their food. They also will eat buds, blossoms, tender leaves and roots, insects and their larvae, worms, and mollusks. Small animals are eaten whole, whereas larger ones will be beaten against the ground or pecked. They use their bill and not their feet to sift through leaf litter and will even use it to sift through soil 2 to 3 cm (0.78740157480315 to 1.2 in) deep.

Conservation

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies five tinamou species as vulnerable

Vulnerable species

On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...

 and two species as near threatened

Near Threatened

Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...

. The major threats to tinamous are habitat fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...

 and encroachment by humans on their habitat.

Significance to humans

Tinamous are hunted by humans throughout their range. Hunting has little negative impact on their population.

Species in taxonomic order

Subfamily Tinaminae

Tinaminae

Tinaminae, the forest tinamous, is a subfamily of the family Tinamidae. It contains three genera, which are:* Crypturellus* Nothocercus* Tinamus-Description:...

• Genus Tinamus
  Tinamus
  Tinamus is a genus of birds in the Tinamou family. This genus comprises 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , Tinamus solitarius
  • Black Tinamou
    Black Tinamou
    The Black Tinamou is a species of ground bird found in humid foothill and montane forest in the Andes of South America. This threatened species is among the largest tinamous.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , Tinamus osgoodi
  • Great Tinamou
    Great Tinamou
    The Great Tinamou Tinamus major, also called Mountain hen is a species of tinamou ground bird native to Central and South America. There are several subspecies, mostly differentiated by their coloration:-Description:...
    
    , Tinamus major
• Genus Nothocercus
  Nothocercus
  Nothocercus is a genus of birds in the Tinamou family. Most of this family are flightless birds, with nothocerus 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , Nothocercus bonapartei
  • 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , Nothocercus julius
  • Hooded Tinamou
    Hooded Tinamou
    The Hooded Tinamou Nothocercus nigrocapillus is a type of ground bird found in forests of Bolivia and Peru.-Taxonomy:Tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also Ratites. Unlike other Ratites, Tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers...
    
    , Nothocercus nigrocapillus
• Genus Crypturellus
  Crypturellus
  Crypturellus is a genus of tinamous.-Etymology:Crypturellus is formed from the Greek words κρυπτός , "covered" or "hidden", οὐρά , "tail", and -ellus, a Latin diminutive suffix...
  
  
  • 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.This bird is named after Hans von Berlepsch to commemorate him.-Description:...
    
    , Crypturellus berlepschi
  • Little Tinamou
    Little Tinamou
    The Little Tinamou, Crypturellus soui, is found in Central America and South America.-Etymology:Crypturellus is formed from three Latin or Greek words. kruptos meaning covered or hidden, oura meaning tail, and ellus meaning diminutive...
    
    , Crypturellus soui
  • 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. They are part of the oldest families of the world today, and have fossils discovered dating back tens of...
    
    , 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , Crypturellus obsoletus
  • Undulated Tinamou
    Undulated Tinamou
    The Undulated Tinamou is a species of ground bird found in a wide range of wooded habitats in eastern and northern South America.-Etymology:...
    
    , Crypturellus undulatus
  • 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 is formed from three Latin or Greek words. kruptos meaning covered or hidden, oura meaning tail, and ellus meaning diminutive...
    
    , 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 Amazonian South America.-Etymology:...
    
    , Crypturellus strigulosus
  • Grey-legged Tinamou
    Grey-legged Tinamou
    The Grey-legged Tinamou, Crypturellus duidae, is a species of tinamou found in relatively dry, shrubby forests in the Amazon in South America.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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..-Description:...
    
    , Crypturellus erythropus
    • 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 endemic to the Magdalena River Valley in Colombia, and has been considered possibly extinct, as there are no confirmed records since the type specimen was collected...
      
      , C. (e.) saltuarius (taxonomic status presently unclear) SACC
      American Ornithologists' Union
      The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
      
       in 2006 did not approve the split, BLI
      BirdLife International
      BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
      
       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. It is found in northern South America.-Etymology:...
      
      , C. (e.) idoneus (taxonomic status presently unclear) SACC
      American Ornithologists' Union
      The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
      
       in 2006 did not approve the split, BLI
      BirdLife International
      BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
      
       followed suit.
    • Colombian Tinamou
      Colombian Tinamou
      The Colombian Tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus columbianus, is a tinamou found in Córdoba, Sucre, Bolívar, and Antioquia in north-central Colombia. Little is known about it. It occurs in lowland moist forest and shrubland at elevation up to ....
      
      , C. (e.) columbianus (taxonomic status presently unclear) SACC
      American Ornithologists' Union
      The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
      
       in 2006 did not approve the split, BLI
      BirdLife International
      BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
      
       followed suit.
  • Yellow-legged Tinamou
    Yellow-legged Tinamou
    The Yellow-legged Tinamou is a species of tinamou found in wooded and shrubby habitats in tropical and subtropical eastern Brazil. This superficially quail-like bird has a grey-brown plumage and two easily separated subspecies...
    
    , Crypturellus noctivagus
  • 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , Crypturellus atrocapillus
  • 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
  • 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 forests of Central America...
    
    , Crypturellus boucardi, also known as Boucard’s Tinamou
  • Choco Tinamou
    Choco Tinamou
    The Choco Tinamou or Chocó Tinamou, Crypturellus kerriae, is a type of Tinamou found in lowland forest and montane forest in subtropical and tropical regions of Colombia and Panama.-Description:...
    
    , 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.-Etymology:...
    
    , 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..-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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.-Taxonomy:The Bartlett's Tinamou is a monotypic species. All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also Ratites. Unlike other Ratites, Tinamous can...
    
    , 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.-Description:...
    
    , 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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..-Etymology:...
    
    , Crypturellus tataupa

Subfamily Nothurinae

Nothurinae

Nothurinae or aridland Tinamous is a subfamily of the Tinamidae family. It contains six genera.The six genera are:* Rhynchotus* Nothoprocta* Nothura* Taoniscus* Eudromia* Tinamotis-Description:...

• Genus Rhynchotus
  Rhynchotus
  Rhynchotus is a genus of birds in the Tinamou family. This genus comprises two members of this South American family.-Taxonomy:Tinamous have evolved from Ratites and are the only extant Ratites that fly, and are the closest to the ancestral flying Ratites.-Species:The species are:* The Red-winged...
  
  
  • 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.-Taxonomy:All Tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also Ratites. Unlike other Ratites, Tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong...
    
    , Rhynchotus rufescens
  • Huayco Tinamou
    Huayco Tinamou
    The Huayco Tinamou, Rhynchotus maculicollis, is a species of bird found on grassy mountain ridges in the Andes of Bolivia and Argentina.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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. They are poor fliers and spend most of their time on the ground. Their diet includes seeds and insects. They nest on...
  
  
  • 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; Junín, Cuzco, Apurímac, Ayacucho, and Puno Regions.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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.-Etymology:...
    
    , Nothoprocta ornata
  • Chilean Tinamou
    Chilean Tinamou
    The Chilean Tinamou, Nothoprocta perdicaria, is a type of tinamou commonly found in high altitude shrubland in subtropical regions of central Chile.-Etymology:...
    
    , Nothoprocta perdicaria
  • 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.-Etymology:...
    
    , Nothoprocta cinerascens
  • Andean Tinamou
    Andean Tinamou
    The Andean Tinamou is a tinamou, found commonly in high altitude shrubland, in the Andes of South America.-Etymology:...
    
    , Nothoprocta pentlandii
  • 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.-Etymology:...
    
    , Nothoprocta curvirostris
• Genus Nothura
  Nothura
  Nothura is a genus of birds in the tinamou family. This genus comprises five members of this South American family.Tinamous are paleognaths related to the flightless ratites...
  
  
  • White-bellied Nothura
    White-bellied Nothura
    The White-bellied Nothura, Nothura boraquira, is a species of tinamou found in dry shrublands in northeastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, and northeastern Brazil.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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.-Etymology:...
    
    , Nothura darwinii
  • Spotted Nothura
    Spotted Nothura
    The Spotted Nothura, Nothura maculosa, is a species of tinamou. This bird is native to grassy habitats in eastern and southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and eastern and northern Argentina.-Description:...
    
    , Nothura maculosa
  • Chaco Nothura
    Chaco Nothura
    The Chaco Nothura, Nothura chacoensis, is a type of Tinamou commonly found in brushland in Argentina and Paraguay.-Description:The Chaco Nothura is approximately in length. The species is similar to Spotted Nothura but paler and buffier overall....
    
    , Nothura chacoensis
• Genus Taoniscus
  • Dwarf Tinamou
    Dwarf Tinamou
    The Dwarf Tinamou also known as the Least Tinamou, is a small, partridge-like bird with short tail and wings.- Description :...
    
    , 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.-Etymology:...
    
    , Eudromia elegans
  • 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.-Etymology:...
    
    , Eudromia formosa
• Genus Tinamotis
  Tinamotis
  Tinamotis is a genus of birds in the tinamou family.-Taxonomy:All Tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also Ratites. Unlike other Ratites, Tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers...
  
  
  • 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. This species is native to southern South America.-Taxonomy:...
    
    , 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. This species is native to southern South America-Taxonomy:...
    
    , Tinamotis ingoufi, also known as Ingouf’s Tinamou

External links

• Tinamou videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Tinamou sounds on the xeno canto collection