Cinereous Tinamou
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| Cinereous Tinamou | ||||||||||||||
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| Crypturellus cinereus (Gmelin, 1789) |
The Cinereous Tinamou Crypturellus cinereus is a type of ground bird found in lowland moist and swamp forest up to 700 m altitude. This species is native to Eastern Colombia, southern Venezuela and the Guianas south across amazonian Brazil to eastern Peru, northern Bolivia and Ecuador. 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 ten millions years. Their quick reflex plays a role in their ability to survive. They are a least concern for extinction.
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[edit] Description
The Cinereous Tinamou is a shy and secretive Tinamou. It is approximately 30 cm in length. It is recognized by its smoky-grey with reddish-brown crown and nape. Its dark phase is uniformly in sooty brown color. This species has a loud distinctive whistle heard mainly at dawn and dusk. Their whistles have a unique pitch and last almost two seconds between each whistle. Their whistles are mostly heard at dawn and dusk, and are monosyllabic. The bird is very capable of projecting its voice to seem like it came from another direction so hearing them and finding their exact location is very difficult. The call between the males and females are similar yet still noticeably different to the human ear. The Cinereous Tinamou body is mainly grey with a brownish red nape and crown. Their color helps them blend with the environment making it harder for predators to detect them. The under parts of the bird are only slightly paler than the body, and the legs appear a dull orange. The females are generally slightly larger in size then the males.
[edit] Behavior
The Cinereous Tinamou is specially known to be easy to hear, but very difficult to see. The Cinereous Tinamou is diurnal. When they are frightened or surprised they usually run off very quickly. Their instincts have adapted to act quickly since they live their lives on the ground and have to flee quickly to avoid predators so they are rarely seen by humans. They have a tendency to walk or run rather than to fly. They are capable of flight, but it is unusual and short. While the Cinereous Tinamou may only be in flight for a short duration their flight is strong and direct. They tend to occur either alone or in pairs. They generally do not travel in groups.
[edit] Habitat and Diet
The Cinereous Tinamou lives in a rainforest habitat or woodlands savanna. They prefer to live near streams or thick swamp woods. Their preferred habitat is thick, dark, and dense. Their food habits depend on the season and habitat although they are mostly herbivorous. In the summer their diet consists of small insects, small fruits, and seeds. Although in the winter time they usually eat a wide variety of seeds or berries collected on the ground. They are considered a benefit to the nature for insect pest because of their large insect consumption. Although when the Cinereous Tinamou is young it is more dependent on insects than when they become adults. The Cinereous Tinamou does not scratch for food, but instead they look under leaves or use their bill to dig.
[edit] Breeding
The Cinereous Tinamou nest their eggs on the forest floor. They are also polygamous. The males will usually call out to attract the females. They lay about two eggs in season. These eggs appear salmon violet colored, and are considered very colorful. The young of cinereous tinamous are capable of moving around when they are hatched to the point that they can almost run as soon as they’re hatched.
[edit] References
- Guide to Birds of Colombia by Steven Hilty [1]
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