Tinamous | Tinamiformes

Tinamoes | Tinamúes

The tinamous form an order of ground-dwelling birds from Central and South America which, together with the ratites, make up the oldest branch of modern birds. Unlike ostriches and rheas they have a keeled breastbone and can fly, though only in short, explosive bursts when flushed at close range; heart and lungs are small for the body, so they tire quickly. They are compact, with a small head, a slender, slightly decurved bill, an almost absent tail and brown, grey or barred plumage that blends into the leaf litter. They live secretively, prefer running to flying and are heard far more often than seen, mainly through their pure, tremulous whistles. In most species the male incubates the glossy, porcelain-like eggs and cares for the young on his own. The order contains a single family, the tinamous; in the region covered here it is represented only by one species on Trinidad.

Families in this order

Tinamous | Tinamidae1 speciesTinamous 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.