Black Tinamou

About

A large darkly colored tinamou with blackish-brown plumage and pale spotting on the wings. One of the least-known tinamou species, inhabiting cloud forests in Colombia and Peru. Terrestrial and secretive; rarely observed. Known primarily from specimens and occasional recordings.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	46.4 cm	18.3 in
Weight	1392.5 g	49.12 oz

Identification

Plumage

Strikingly dark; upperparts blackish-brown with very fine pale vermiculations. Underparts dark slate-gray, barely paler than back. Throat pale. Legs and bill dark gray. Sexes similar.

Habitat & Range

Humid cloud forest at 1,000–1,800 m in the Andes of southwestern Colombia and northern Peru. Favors steep terrain with dense undergrowth and mossy forest floor. Extremely range-restricted and rarely observed.

🌲 Forest

Geographic Range

Inhabits tropical and subtropical forests from southern Mexico to Bolivia and central Brazil. Largely sedentary across its wide range.

Diet & Feeding

Forages forest floors for fallen seeds, fruits, tubers, and beetles; solitary and cryptic; diet varies with fruiting season.

Conservation Status

Vulnerable

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Clutch Size

2

Sound

Song

A deep, resonant, single-note whistle with a sad, hollow quality. Poorly documented due to its remote Peruvian cloud forest habitat. Calls infrequently compared to other large tinamous.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Tinamiformes (Tinamous)
Family	Tinamidae (Tinamous)
Genus	Tinamus
Species	Tinamus osgoodi

Distribution

Black Tinamou has been recorded in 4 countries.

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Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇪 Peru

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Black Tinamou eat?

Forages forest floors for fallen seeds, fruits, tubers, and beetles; solitary and cryptic; diet varies with fruiting season.

Where does the Black Tinamou live?

Humid cloud forest at 1,000–1,800 m in the Andes of southwestern Colombia and northern Peru. Favors steep terrain with dense undergrowth and mossy forest floor. Extremely range-restricted and rarely observed.

Is the Black Tinamou endangered?

The Black Tinamou has a conservation status of Vulnerable.

What does the Black Tinamou sound like?

A deep, resonant, single-note whistle with a sad, hollow quality. Poorly documented due to its remote Peruvian cloud forest habitat. Calls infrequently compared to other large tinamous.

How big is the Black Tinamou?

The Black Tinamou has a wingspan of 46.4 cm, weight of 1392.5 g.

What order and family does the Black Tinamou belong to?

The Black Tinamou (Tinamus osgoodi) belongs to the order Tinamiformes and the family Tinamidae.