Little Tinamou
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| iLittle Tinamou | ||||||||||||||
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| Crypturellus soui (Hermann, 1783) |
The Little Tinamou, (Crypturellus soui), is a member of the most ancient groups of bird families, the tinamous.
It is a resident breeder in humid forests and other damp overgrown habitats from southern Mexico down through Central and South America as far as southern Brazil. It lays two glossy lavender coloured eggs on the ground. The young are precocial, and can run almost as soon as they hatch.
The Little Tinamou is 22-24cm long and weighs 220g. Although it looks similar to other ground-dwelling birds like quail and grouse, it is completely unrelated to those groups. This is a dumpy bird with unbarred brown plumage, shaded to grey on the head and with a whiter throat. The female is a brighter rufous brown below than the male.
The Little Tinamou is rarely seen in its dark, dense forests, walking away through the undergrowth. It can be located by its slow whistling calls (soft, descending whinny; also a series of single notes, tempo increasing at end), given by both sexes. It eats seeds, berries, and some insects.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Crypturellus soui. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Birds of Venezuela by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by ffrench, ISBN 0-7136-6759-1
