Red-legged tinamou | |
---|---|
Illustration by Keulemans, 1895 | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Infraclass: | Palaeognathae |
Order: | Tinamiformes |
Family: | Tinamidae |
Genus: | Crypturellus |
Species: | C. erythropus |
Binomial name | |
Crypturellus erythropus | |
Subspecies [2] | |
C. e. erythropus(Pelzeln, 1863) Contents | |
Synonyms | |
|
The red-legged tinamou or red-footed tinamou, [3] (Crypturellus erythropus) is a ground-dwelling bird found in the tropics and lower subtropics of northern South America. [4]
The red-legged tinamou is superficially similar to a quail to which it is not related as it, along with other tinamous, belongs in the Paleognathae. Its total length is 27 to 32 cm (11–13 in). Its brownish upper parts and grey chest contrasts clearly with the buff belly. The back and wings are barred, but this is faint (often barely visible) in the males. Additionally, the amount of barring to the upperparts varies among the subspecies. It is the only tinamou in its range with rosy-red legs.
As other tinamous, it is recorded infrequently, except by its whistling voice. It has been recorded feeding on seeds, berries, snails, and insects. Little is known about its breeding behavior, but the glossy eggs are pale greyish-lavender with a variable amount of pink suffusion.
Crypturellus is formed from three Latin or Greek words/parts. kruptos meaning covered or hidden, oura meaning tail, and -ellus a Latin diminutive suffix. Therefore, Crypturellus means small hidden tail. [5]
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. [6]
Red-legged tinamou subspecies are:
The taxonomy, beyond this, remains unclear, with some authorities considering the taxa saltuarius, idoneus, and columbianus as monotypic species rather than subspecies of the red-legged tinamou. The SACC rejected a proposal to elevate these to species status, arguing that the presently available data fail to support the split. [7]
Additionally, several subspecies usually associated with the red-legged tinamou have been associated with other species in the past, especially the thicket tinamou, the Choco tinamou and the yellow-legged tinamou. [7]
The red-legged tinamou lives in Guyana, Suriname, Colombia, Venezuela and northeastern Brazil, and on Margarita Island. [4] It may also be found in French Guiana. [1] Its favored habitat is dry forest, although it can be found in moist forest and lower elevation shrubland and grasslands. It prefers elevations below 1,300 m (4,300 ft). [8]
The red-legged tinamou is uncommon to locally common in most of its range, but the Magdalena tinamou is very rare (perhaps extinct), while the Colombian tinamou is endangered. In both cases the main problem is habitat destruction, but hunting is another issue. The IUCN lists this bird as Least Concern, [1] with an occurrence range of 1,800,000 km2 (690,000 sq mi). [8]
The little tinamou is a species of tinamou. It is found in Central and South America, as well as on the Caribbean island of Trinidad.
The Magdalena tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus saltuarius, is a member of one of the most ancient bird families, the tinamous. It is endemic to the Magdalena River Valley in Colombia, and had been considered possibly extinct, because of an absence of confirmed records since the type specimen was collected in 1943. The most recent review consider it likely that it is extant, as locals have reported sightings in the 1970s and 1980s, an individual was apparently held in captivity until the early 1990s, and a few patches of forest remain in its presumed range. Additionally, a record was made in late 2008. It was rediscovered in 2023.
The white-throated tinamou is a species of bird native to the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, northern Bolivia, southeastern Colombia, northeastern Ecuador, eastern Peru and southern Venezuela.
The brown tinamou is a brownish ground bird found in humid lowland and montane forest in tropical and subtropical South America.
Crypturellus is a genus of tinamous containing mostly forest species. However, there are the odd few that are grassland or steppe tinamous. The genus contains 21 species.
The tepui tinamou is a type of ground bird found in montane moist forest on tepuis, in southeastern Venezuela.
The undulated tinamou is a species of ground bird found in a wide range of wooded habitats in eastern and northern South America.
The pale-browed tinamou is a type of tinamou found in tropical dry forests in Peru and Ecuador.
The Brazilian tinamou is a type of tinamou found in tropical moist lowland forest in regions of Amazonian South America.
The Colombian tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus columbianus, is a tinamou found in Córdoba, Sucre, Bolívar, and Antioquia in north-central Colombia. Little is known about it. It occurs in lowland moist forest and shrubland at elevation up to 600 m (2,000 ft).
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 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.
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.
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.
The Santa Marta tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus idoneus, is a subspecies of tinamou that was recognized as a species by most authorities until 2006. It is found in northern South America.