| Chilean tinamou | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Infraclass: | Palaeognathae |
| Order: | Tinamiformes |
| Family: | Tinamidae |
| Genus: | Nothoprocta |
| Species: | N. perdicaria |
| Binomial name | |
| Nothoprocta perdicaria | |
| Subspecies [2] | |
N. p. perdicaria(Kittlitz, 1830) Contents | |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Chilean tinamou (Nothoprocta perdicaria) is a type of tinamou commonly found in high elevation shrubland in subtropical regions of central Chile. [3]
All tinamous are from the family Tinamidae; in the larger scheme, they are also ratites (i.e., birds without a keel on their sternum bone), together with the South American rhea ( Rhea ), the cassowary (Casuarius), emu ( Dromaius ), ostrich (Struthio) and the kiwis (order Apterygiformes) as close, if not distant, relatives. However, unlike these terrestrial ratites, tinamou can still fly, albeit not for any sustained period or very effectively. Still, all currently extant ratite species evolved from ancient flying birds, with tinamou representing the closest living connections to these species. [4] Additionally, the tinamou are closely aligned with the extinct giant moa ( Dinornis ) of New Zealand.
Crypturellus is formed from three Latin or Greek words: kruptos (meaning covered or hidden), oura (meaning tail) and ellus (meaning diminutive). Therefore, Crypturellus translates loosely to "small, hidden tail". [5]
The Chilean tinamou has two subspecies, as follows:
The Chilean tinamou can be found in the high elevation shrubland at 400 to 2,000 m (1,300–6,600 ft) elevation. This species is native to all of Chile except southern Los Lagos, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Aisén, and Magallanes y Antarctica Chilena. [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 Chilean tinamou is approximately 29 cm (11 in) in length. It is almost tail-less and is stocky in shape. It has a bill that is curved and similar to the California quail. It has thick, short, pale, yellowish legs. It generally walks upright and has "short tail and tail coverts drooping behind legs." The pattern on its upper body looks striped, but is more complex in detail. It has a buffy face with a dark eyeline that is drooping and a small strip on its cheek, with a lighter colored crown. Its neck is brown and its lower neck has dark spots. It has a complex patterns that streak on the side of the chest, which is grey. The Chilean tinamou, just south of the Maule Region, has a brownish chest instead of a grey chest and more and reddish brown stripes on its upper body and buttocks. For both regions, it has large wings that cover the body when on ground, and when flying the wings appear large and reddish brown underneath. The wings are also rounded. [9]
It has a loud stride whistle that sounds double-syllabled and sounds like "sweee weee." When under stress, it releases a lowering series of whistles that sounds like "swee wee wee wee" along with fast-paced wing sounds. [9]
The females lay 10-12 glossy eggs in a scrape. The male incubates the eggs and raises the chicks. [4] 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 IUCN classifies the Chilean tinamou as Least Concern, [1] with an occurrence range of 120,000 km2 (46,000 sq mi). [6]
Tinamous are members of the order Tinamiformes, and family Tinamidae, divided into two distinct subfamilies, containing 46 species found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. The word "tinamou" comes from the Galibi term for these birds, tinamu. Tinamous are the only living group of palaeognaths able to fly, and were traditionally regarded as the sister group of the flightless ratites, but recent work places them well within the ratite radiation as most closely related to the extinct moa of New Zealand, implying flightlessness emerged among ratites multiple times. Tinamous first appear in the fossil record in the Miocene epoch. They are generally sedentary, ground-dwelling and, though not flightless, when possible avoid flight in favour of hiding or running away from danger. They are found in a variety of habitats, ranging from semi-arid alpine grasslands to tropical rainforests. The two subfamilies are broadly divided by habitat, with the Nothurinae referred to as steppe or open country tinamous, and the Tinaminae known as forest tinamous.
The brown tinamou is a brownish ground bird found in humid lowland and montane forest in tropical and subtropical South America.
The Andean tinamou is a tinamou, found commonly in high-altitude shrubland, in the Andes of South America.
The red-legged tinamou or red-footed tinamou, is a ground-dwelling bird found in the tropics and lower subtropics of northern South America.
Berlepsch's tinamou is a type of ground bird found in moist forest in northwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador.
The tepui tinamou is a type of ground bird found in montane moist forest on tepuis, in southeastern Venezuela.
The Brazilian tinamou is a type of tinamou found in tropical moist lowland forest in regions of Amazonian South America.
The black-capped tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in the moist forest lowlands in subtropical and tropical regions.
The thicket tinamou or rufescent tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in moist forests in subtropical and tropical central Mexico.
The slaty-breasted tinamou or Boucard's tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in lowland moist forests of Mexico and Central America.
The Choco tinamou or Chocó tinamou is a type of tinamou found in lowland forest and montane forest in subtropical and tropical regions of Colombia and Panama.
The rusty tinamou or short-billed tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in swamp forest in tropical regions of South America.
Bartlett's tinamou is a type of tinamou found in lowland forest in South America.
The small-billed tinamou is a type of Tinamou commonly found in dry savanna in Amazonian South America.
The barred tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in lowland moist forest in subtropical and tropical regions of northern South America.
The Tataupa tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in dry forest in subtropical and tropical regions in southeastern South America.
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.
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.
The brushland tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in high-altitude dry shrubland in subtropical and tropical regions of southern South America.
The curve-billed tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in high-altitude grassland and shrubland habitats in the Andes of South America.
