Cinereous Tinamou vs Solitary Tinamou
Crypturellus cinereus compared with Tinamus solitarius
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Cinereous Tinamou | Solitary Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus cinereus | Tinamus solitarius |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 32.5 cm (12.8 in) | 52.3 cm (20.6 in) |
| Weight | 502.25 g (17.72 oz) | 1428.5 g (50.39 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, berries, and insects in Neotropical forests; scratches leaf litter to expose invertebrates; … | Omnivorous ground-forager in Patagonian steppes; eats seeds, berries, shoots, and insects; diet shifts toward seeds … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 6-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Cinereous Tinamou
Lowland humid forest and forest edges in the Amazon and Orinoco basins from Venezuela and Colombia to Bolivia and central Brazil. Prefers dense understorey near water. Tolerates some secondary growth.
Solitary Tinamou
Dense Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil from Bahia south to Rio Grande do Sul, into northeastern Argentina and Paraguay. Prefers humid lowland and foothill forest with closed canopy and thick undergrowth. Below 900 m.
Song & Call Comparison
Cinereous Tinamou
A monotonous, deep whistle repeated at regular slow intervals. The call is a single, resonant 'whoooo' given from forest floor cover. Typical of lowland humid forest.
Solitary Tinamou
Delivers a pure, mournful flute-like whistle repeated slowly. The call is a single clear 'whooo' rising then falling, given from dense understory. Less frequently heard than other tinamous.
Geographic Range & Migration
Cinereous Tinamou
Ranges through forests of Chile and adjacent western Argentina. Sedentary in temperate Valdivian forests from sea level to 1,500 m.
Solitary Tinamou
Restricted to Paraguay, southern Bolivia, and northern Argentina. Sedentary in dry Chaco woodlands and open grasslands year-round.
Conservation Status
Cinereous Tinamou
Solitary Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Cinereous Tinamou
Uniform slate-gray upperparts; head, neck and breast also gray. Belly paler grayish-white. Lacks strong barring. Bill and legs dark gray. Sexes similar; cinereous refers to its ashy coloration.
Solitary Tinamou
Rich dark brown upperparts heavily barred and vermiculated with black. Crown dark; throat whitish. Breast rufous-brown; belly pale buff. Flanks broadly barred dark brown. Sexes similar.
About These Birds
Cinereous Tinamou
A plain uniformly grey-brown tinamou with barred wings and a pale throat. Widespread in lowland Amazonian and Orinoco basin forests. Often detected by its loud two-note whistle. Males alone incubate the glossy teal-colored eggs. Feeds on fallen fruits, seeds, and invertebrates.
Solitary Tinamou
A large heavily built tinamou with dark olive-brown upperparts, pale underparts, and distinctive dark barring. Lives singly in dense Atlantic Forest, rarely seen despite its loud melancholic calls. Feeds on fallen fruit, seeds, and invertebrates. Threatened by deforestation across eastern Brazil.