Tinamous | Tinamidae

Tinamoes | Tinamúes

Tinamous resemble gamebirds in shape but are not related to them; their closest relatives are the ratites. The body is round and compact, the head small, the bill slender and the tail so short that it disappears under the coverts; the hind toe is small or lacking. They forage on foot for seeds, fruit and insects in the leaf litter. In the region the family is represented only by the Little Tinamou (Crypturellus soui) on Trinidad, a bird of forest edge, scrub, cocoa plantations and secondary growth. It is dark brown with a greyer head and warm rufous underparts and is seldom seen; its presence is shown mainly by a series of tremulous whistles that rise in pitch and speed, often given early in the morning and towards dusk. The nest is a scrape among leaves on the ground. The male incubates the one or two glossy, dark eggs and accompanies the chicks, which leave the nest soon after hatching.