Tinamous | Tinamiformes

Tinamoeachtigen | Tinamúes

The tinamous form an order with a single family and belong to the palaeognaths, the same ancient branch that includes the ostriches, rheas and kiwis. The relationship shows not in their appearance but in the structure of the palate and other features of the skeleton; unlike their large relatives, tinamous can fly, although the breastbone is small and flight is short and noisy. They are stocky, short-tailed ground birds of forest and scrub in Central and South America, shy and cryptically coloured, more often heard than seen. Breeding too departs from the usual pattern among birds: the male incubates and tends the young, while the female may lay her eggs for more than one male. Most striking are the glossy, plain-coloured eggs, which are more porcelain-like than those of any other group of birds. In this guide the order is represented by the tinamou family (Tinamidae).

Families in this order

Tinamous | Tinamidae6 speciesSix species in three genera occur in Mexico and Central America: Tinamus and Crypturellus in humid and dry lowland forest, Nothocercus in the montane forest of Costa Rica and Panama. Tinamous look like a cross between a partridge and a rail: a rounded body, a thin neck, a small head with a slender, slightly curved bill and a very short tail hidden beneath the body feathers. The plumage is brown, grey or rufous, often finely barred, and the sexes are alike. They walk quietly over the forest floor picking up fruit, seeds and invertebrates; when threatened they crouch or run off, and only at the last moment burst into flight on loudly whirring wings. Their voice consists of pure, tremulous or descending whistles, heard mainly at dusk and among the characteristic sounds of the rainforest. The male incubates the eggs on bare ground among roots or leaf litter and alone cares for the young, which can walk almost at once. The eggs are unmarked and glossy as porcelain, turquoise in the Great Tinamou and purplish or chocolate brown in other species.