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. Tinamous sleep on the ground at night. Exceptions are members of the genus Tinamus, which roost in trees, choosing horizontal branches or tangled lianas and perching without using the toes. This genus comprises the larger of the Tinamou species.
Physical charateristics
Despite its name the throat is sometimes buff. THe back is pale to dark brown. Sometimes the lower back and the rump are barred black. Wing coverts have variable white or buff spots.
Listen to the sound of White-throated Tinamou
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Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
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36
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Range
South America : Amazonia. The White-throated Tinamou is native to Brazil, southeaster Columbia, northern Bolivia, southern Venezuela, eastern Peru,
Habitat
Primary rain forest up to 500m, typically terra firme forest
Reproduction
No much is known, lays 5-6 turquoise eggs.
Feeding habits
Its diet includes fruits that have fallen to the ground, flower buds, tender leaves, seeds, roots, and invertebrates such as insects or worms.
Video White-throated Tinamou
copyright: Jose de Alencar Bonafe
Conservation
This species has an extremely 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). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to 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.
If you hear a mourning-dove around your house, some one in the house will die unless you tie a knot into each corner of your apron. Then the mourning-dove will stop mourning and go away.
Dear visitor, we started two exciting new projects on PoB. Unique on the net we started posting Vintage plates and bird descriptions from the dawn of ornithology. Next to this we collected stories about birds in mythology, fables and folk lore. Many of these stories are founded in what is nowadays called ethno-ornithology. The next few months we will be publishing about 2000 new posts... The past months were quiet on the posting front, but frantic in research. Enjoy and help us by posting or commenting your own stories, fables or bird legends.
Jan D.
Chief editor PoB.
Netherlands
Buzzards never build a nest, because small birds say to them, "when the sun shines, what is the use of building a nest? Sun shine. When it rains, build when the rain stop." Dumb Buzzard never does build a nest.
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A large francolin (Francolinus squamatus) calls loudly from low trees just about dusk in the evening, and again at about 4h in the morning, thus serving travellers as a sort of alarm-clock.