Black-capped Tinamou vs Ornate Tinamou
Crypturellus atrocapillus compared with Nothoprocta ornata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-capped Tinamou | Ornate Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus atrocapillus | Nothoprocta ornata |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.1 cm (13.0 in) | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 452.5 g (15.96 oz) | 624.5 g (22.03 oz) |
| Diet | Seeds, tubers, and insects form the diet; forages on open grassland floors of central South … | Herbivorous, grazing grasses and sedges near water; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates during breeding; forms large … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 4-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Black-capped Tinamou
Humid foothill and lower montane forest at 250–1,200 m on the eastern Andean slopes from southern Colombia to Bolivia. Prefers dense undergrowth with mossy forest floor near streams.
Ornate Tinamou
High puna grassland, rocky outcrops, and shrubby slopes at 3,000–4,800 m in the Andes from Peru through Bolivia to northwestern Argentina and Chile. Often near rocky gullies and streams.
Song & Call Comparison
Black-capped Tinamou
A deep, hollow whistle repeated slowly. Considered vocally similar to Variegated Tinamou but delivers its call from Andean foothill forest at lower elevations.
Ornate Tinamou
A musical, clear whistle from Andean puna and bofedales. Call is a repeated 2-note phrase. Considered one of the more melodic high-elevation tinamous in the genus.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-capped Tinamou
Found in arid scrublands and dry woodlands of Peru and Bolivia. Sedentary; restricted to western slope Andean valleys below 2,500 m.
Ornate Tinamou
Ranges along Pacific slopes of the Andes from Ecuador to central Chile. Sedentary in arid and semi-arid foothill scrub.
Conservation Status
Black-capped Tinamou
Ornate Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-capped Tinamou
Distinctive blackish-brown crown and nape contrasting with rufous sides of head. Upperparts brown with black barring. Throat pale; breast rufous. Belly buff. Flanks barred. Reddish legs. Sexes similar.
Ornate Tinamou
Intricately patterned; upperparts grayish-brown with black streaks and whitish shaft streaks. Bold pale supercilium. Breast spotted and streaked on pale buff. Belly whitish. Striking Andean species.
About These Birds
Black-capped Tinamou
A small secretive tinamou with a dark black crown, rufous-brown body, and barred flanks. Found in foothill forests of the Andes from Colombia to Bolivia. Detected mainly by its soft whistle. Feeds on seeds, berries, and invertebrates in dense forest undergrowth.
Ornate Tinamou
A striking medium-sized tinamou with intricately patterned brown, black, and white plumage—one of the most ornately marked tinamou species. Found in Andean puna from Peru to Argentina. Terrestrial and gregarious, often found in small flocks. Calls with a clear fluted whistle.