Rusty Tinamou vs Great Tinamou
Crypturellus brevirostris compared with Tinamus major
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rusty Tinamou | Great Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus brevirostris | Tinamus major |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.7 cm (10.9 in) | 48.2 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 273.9 g (9.66 oz) | 1006.75 g (35.51 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous screamer; grazes aquatic plants, seeds, and grasses in South American wetlands; supplements with invertebrates. | Ground-forager eating seeds, fallen fruits, and small invertebrates in Chilean matorral scrub; pecks and scratches … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 3-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Rusty Tinamou
Lowland terra firme rainforest in the central Amazon basin of Brazil. Prefers dense undisturbed forest interior with thick leaf litter and low understorey vegetation. Rarely recorded.
Great Tinamou
Humid lowland and foothill tropical rainforest from southern Mexico through Central America to Bolivia and southeastern Brazil. Prefers undisturbed forest interior with dense understorey. Nests on the ground.
Song & Call Comparison
Rusty Tinamou
A high, thin whistle with a slightly raspy quality. Smaller than most forest tinamous; its call reflects its diminutive size. Heard in terra firme forest of the Amazon basin.
Great Tinamou
A beautiful, pure whistled phrase repeated at regular intervals from the forest floor. Call is a clear 'wheeeoo-wheeeoo'. Among the most musical tinamou calls in its range.
Geographic Range & Migration
Rusty Tinamou
Found in coastal lowlands and forest edges of Pacific-slope Ecuador and northern Peru. Sedentary; inhabits dry coastal scrub.
Great Tinamou
Found in open habitats from Venezuela and Guianas through Bolivia to northeastern Argentina. Sedentary in dry savannas and grasslands.
Conservation Status
Rusty Tinamou
Great Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Rusty Tinamou
Warm rusty-rufous brown upperparts with faint darker barring; crown slightly darker. Throat pale buff; breast uniform rusty-rufous. Belly paler buff. Short-billed; legs reddish. Sexes similar.
Great Tinamou
Olive-brown to grayish-brown upperparts with black vermiculations and barring. Crown darker brownish; throat whitish. Breast grayish-brown; belly pale buff. Flanks barred with dark brown.
About These Birds
Rusty Tinamou
A small tinamou with rich warm rufous-brown plumage and a short stout bill. Found in the central Amazon basin of Brazil. Poorly studied; known mainly from specimens and limited field encounters. Terrestrial and secretive, inhabiting the dense floor of Amazonian rainforest.
Great Tinamou
The largest regularly occurring tinamou, with brownish-grey plumage, barred wings, and a pale belly. Common in lowland Neotropical rainforest from Mexico to Bolivia. Males incubate glossy teal-colored eggs. Their haunting multi-note calls resonate through the forest, making them acoustically conspicuous yet visually elusive.