[order] TINAMIFORMES | [family] Tinamidae | [latin] Nothoprocta pentlandii | [authority] Gray, 1867 | [UK] Andean Tinamou | [FR] Tinamou de Andes | [DE] Anden-Steisshuhn | [ES] Inambu Serrano Chico, Tinamu Andino | [NL] Andestinamoe
Monotypic species
Genus
Tinamous are paleognaths related to the flightless ratites. They are probably close in appearance to the flying ancestors of the ratites. Unlike other Ratites, Tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers. 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. They are medium-sized tinamous with strong legs and fairly long, downcurved bills. The plumage is mostly grey-brown with intricate black, white and buff markings.
The Andean Tinamou is approximately 27 cm in length. Its upperparts are greyish-brown to olive brown barred and streaked with black and white. Its breast grey spotted with white or buff, belly buffy or whitish with crown blackish, sides of head and throat mottled greyish. Its legs yellowish.
Listen to the sound of Andean Tinamou
[audio:http://www.planetofbirds.com/MASTER/TINAMIFORMES/Tinamidae/sounds/Andean Tinamou.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
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25 |
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29 |
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eggs min.: |
8 |
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14 |
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South America : Ecuador to Central Argentina
The species is commonly found in high altitude shrubland habitats in subtropical and tropical regions up to 800 to 4100 m altitude
Andean tinamous do not form stable pairs for breeding. Instead, males set up a nest and breed with different females, who then lay their eggs in the nest. Up to 14 eggs can be laid in one nest. The male incubates the eggs and cares for the chicks after they hatch. The chicks are able to follow the parent only a few hours after hatching. They can feed themselves, but the parent will capture insects for them for the first few days. They probably reach maturity after one year.
In the wild, they eat seeds, shoots, buds, small fruits, insect larvae, and crops such as potatoes and barley. In the zoo, our tinamous eat soft-bill diet, exotic game bird maintenance, chopped fruits and vegetables, and mealworms.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytEco2VNP3U
copyright: Barry Attridge
This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Sedentary in all of its range, but not well known
