Brushland tinamou

Last updated

Brushland tinamou
Brushland Tinamou.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Order: Tinamiformes
Family: Tinamidae
Genus: Nothoprocta
Species:
N. cinerascens
Binomial name
Nothoprocta cinerascens
(Burmeister, 1860) [2]
Subspecies [2]

N. c. cinerascens(Burmeister, 1860)
N. c. parvimaculata(Olrog  [ de; fr; sv; fi; nl ], 1959)

Contents

Nothoprocta cinerascens map.svg

The brushland tinamou (Nothoprocta cinerascens) is a type of tinamou commonly found in high-altitude dry shrubland in subtropical and tropical regions of southern South America. [3]

Etymology

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]

Taxonomy

All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also ratites. Unlike other ratites, tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers. All ratites evolved from prehistoric flying birds, and tinamous are the closest living relative of these birds. [5]

Hermann Burmeister first identified the brushland tinamou from a specimen from Tucumán Province, Argentina, in 1860. [5]

A phylogenetic study published in 2022 found that the brushland tinamou was more closely related to species placed in the genus Rhynchotus than it was to the other members of the genus Nothoprocta. [6]

Subspecies

The brushland tinamou has two subspecies as follows:

Description

The brushland tinamou is approximately 31.5 cm (12.4 in) in length and weighs 540 g (1.19 lb). Its upper parts are grey to olive-brown barred with black and prominently streaked with white. Its crown is black, the sides of its head and its throat are white, its lower throat is barred black, its breast is grey spotted with white, and its belly is whitish. Its legs are dark grey. The female is larger and darker. [5]

Range

This species is native to southeastern Bolivia, northwestern Paraguay and northwestern and central Argentina in South America. [3]

Habitat

The brushland tinamou prefers to live in dry shrubland up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in altitude. [5] But it can regularly be found as high as 2,000 m (6,600 ft), and also in dry savanna, dry grassland, or grassland that is seasonally flooded, and also pastureland and farmland. [1] [7]

Behavior

The call of the brushland tinamou is a series of seven to ten clear whistled notes that carry, and will be hard as they defend their range of about 50 acres (20 ha). They feed off of insects and small animals and some fruit.

Reproduction

Males attract two to four females and supervise their laying of eggs in the nest, which is typically hidden in brush. Females will leave to find other males and the male will incubate the eggs and raise the chicks. [5]

Conservation

The brushland tinamou is classified by the IUCN as Least Concern, [1] with an occurrence range of 1,200,000 km2 (460,000 sq mi). [7]

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2016). "Nothoprocta cinerascens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22678262A92763901. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678262A92763901.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Brands, S. (2008)
  3. 1 2 3 4 Clements, J. (2007)
  4. Gotch, A. F. (1995)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Davies, S. J. J. F. (2003)
  6. Almeida, F.C.; Porzecanski, A.L.; Cracraft, J.L.; Bertelli, S. (2022). "The evolution of tinamous (Palaeognathae: Tinamidae) in light of molecular and combined analyses". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 195 (1): 106–124. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab080.
  7. 1 2 BirdLife International (2008)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown tinamou</span> Species of bird

The brown tinamou is a brownish ground bird found in humid lowland and montane forest in tropical and subtropical South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andean tinamou</span> Species of bird

The Andean tinamou is a tinamou, found commonly in high-altitude shrubland, in the Andes of South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-legged tinamou</span> Species of bird

The red-legged tinamou or red-footed tinamou, is a ground-dwelling bird found in the tropics and lower subtropics of northern South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tepui tinamou</span> Species of bird

The tepui tinamou is a type of ground bird found in montane moist forest on tepuis, in southeastern Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pale-browed tinamou</span> Species of bird

The pale-browed tinamou is a type of tinamou found in tropical dry forests in Peru and Ecuador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazilian tinamou</span> Species of bird

The Brazilian tinamou is a type of tinamou found in tropical moist lowland forest in regions of Amazonian South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-capped tinamou</span> Species of bird

The black-capped tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in the moist forest lowlands in subtropical and tropical regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thicket tinamou</span> Species of bird

The thicket tinamou or rufescent tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in moist forests in subtropical and tropical central Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slaty-breasted tinamou</span> Species of bird

The slaty-breasted tinamou or Boucard's tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in lowland moist forests of Mexico and Central America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty tinamou</span> Species of bird

The rusty tinamou or short-billed tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in swamp forest in tropical regions of South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartlett's tinamou</span> Species of bird

Bartlett's tinamou is a type of tinamou found in lowland forest in South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small-billed tinamou</span> Species of bird

The small-billed tinamou is a type of Tinamou commonly found in dry savanna in Amazonian South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barred tinamou</span> Species of bird

The barred tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in lowland moist forest in subtropical and tropical regions of northern South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tataupa tinamou</span> Species of bird

The Tataupa tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in dry forest in subtropical and tropical regions in southeastern South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taczanowski's tinamou</span> Species of bird

Taczanowski's tinamou is a type of ground bird found in the eastern Andes in Peru in the Junín, Cuzco, Apurímac, Ayacucho, and Puno Regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornate tinamou</span> Species of bird

The ornate tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in the high altitude grassland and dry shrubland in subtropical and tropical regions of west central South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chilean tinamou</span> Species of bird

The Chilean tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in high elevation shrubland in subtropical regions of central Chile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curve-billed tinamou</span> Species of bird

The curve-billed tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in high-altitude grassland and shrubland habitats in the Andes of South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quebracho crested tinamou</span> Species of bird

The quebracho crested tinamou is a species of tinamou found in dry forest habitats in Paraguay and northern Argentina in South America.

<i>Nothoprocta</i> Genus of birds

Nothoprocta is a genus of birds belonging to the tinamou family Tinamidae. They inhabit scrubland, grassland and open woodland in western South America, particularly in the Andes. They are poor fliers and spend most of their time on the ground. Their diet includes seeds and insects. They nest on the ground, laying large glossy eggs. The eggs are covered with feathers when a potential predator is nearby.

References