| Chilean Tinamou | |
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| Illustration by Keulemans, 1895 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Tinamiformes |
| Family: | Tinamidae |
| Genus: | Nothoprocta |
| Species: | N. perdicaria |
| Binomial name | |
| Nothoprocta perdicaria (Kittlitz, 1830)[2] |
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| Sub-species | |
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N. p. perdicaria (Kittlitz, 1830)[2] |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Chilean Tinamou, Nothoprocta perdicaria, is a type of tinamou commonly found in high altitude shrubland in subtropical regions of central Chile.[3]
Contents |
Crypturellus is formed from three Latin or Greek words. kruptos meaning covered or hidden, oura meaning tail, and ellus meaning diminutive. Therefore Crypturellus means small hidden tail.[4]
All tinamous are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also ratites. Unlike other ratites, tinamou can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers. All ratites evolved from prehistoric flying birds, and tinamou are the closest living relative of these birds.[5]
The Chilean Tinamou has two subspecies as follows:
The Chilean Tinamou is approximately 30 cm (12 in) in length. Its upper parts grayish brown to olive, and have dark barring and pale streaking, its throat is white, its breast is gray, and its belly is buff. Its bill is brown and its legs are pale yellow to brown.
The females lay 10-12 glossy eggs in a scrape. The male incubates the eggs and raises the chicks.[5] The eggs are covered with feathers when left unattended. Incubation is around 21 days. The chicks are buff with dark stripes, and run soon after hatching and fly when half-grown. Later in life blue or gray spots may appear
The Chilean Tinamou can be found in the high altitude shrubland at 400–2,000 m (1,300–6,600 ft) altitude. This species is native to all of Chile except southern Los Lagos, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Aisén, and Magallanes y Antarctica Chilena, and can also be found in adjacent areas of Argentina.[3][6] This tinamou can also be found in arid mountain forests in association with such trees as Acacia caven, Porlieria chilensis and the endangered Jubaea chilensis.[7] It has been introduced to Easter Island.[8]
The IUCN classifies the Chilean Tinamou as Least Concern,[1] with an occurrence range of 120,000 km2 (46,000 sq mi).[6]