Thicket Tinamou vs Great Tinamou
Crypturellus cinnamomeus compared with Tinamus major
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Thicket Tinamou | Great Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus cinnamomeus | Tinamus major |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 31.3 cm (12.3 in) | 48.2 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 423.75 g (14.95 oz) | 1006.75 g (35.51 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on the ground for seeds, fallen fruits, and beetles in Neotropical forests; cryptic; diet … | Ground-forager eating seeds, fallen fruits, and small invertebrates in Chilean matorral scrub; pecks and scratches … |
| Clutch Size | 3-7 | 3-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Thicket Tinamou
Dry tropical and subtropical forest, scrubland, thickets, and second growth from sea level to 1,500 m, from Mexico through Central America to northwestern Colombia. Tolerates heavily degraded and secondary habitats.
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
Thicket Tinamou
A dry, flat whistle repeated monotonously. Call carries through dense thicket and thorn scrub of Central America. Less musical than forest-dwelling Crypturellus relatives.
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
Thicket Tinamou
Ranges from Colombia and Venezuela to northeastern Brazil and Bolivia. Sedentary in lowland humid forests and forest edges.
Great Tinamou
Found in open habitats from Venezuela and Guianas through Bolivia to northeastern Argentina. Sedentary in dry savannas and grasslands.
Conservation Status
Thicket Tinamou
Great Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Thicket Tinamou
Cinnamon-rufous brown upperparts with blackish barring; crown darker. Throat whitish; breast cinnamon-rufous; belly paler buff. Reddish legs. Males brighter; females more heavily barred above.
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
Thicket Tinamou
A medium-sized tinamou with rich cinnamon-brown plumage, barred wings, and a pale throat. Widespread in dry forest and thickets from Mexico to northern Colombia. Commonly heard calling with a repeated whistle in second-growth scrub and dry forest. Adapts well to degraded habitats.
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.