Thicket Tinamou vs Solitary Tinamou
Crypturellus cinnamomeus compared with Tinamus solitarius
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Thicket Tinamou | Solitary Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus cinnamomeus | Tinamus solitarius |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 31.3 cm (12.3 in) | 52.3 cm (20.6 in) |
| Weight | 423.75 g (14.95 oz) | 1428.5 g (50.39 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on the ground for seeds, fallen fruits, and beetles in Neotropical forests; cryptic; diet … | Omnivorous ground-forager in Patagonian steppes; eats seeds, berries, shoots, and insects; diet shifts toward seeds … |
| Clutch Size | 3-7 | 6-7 |
| 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.
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
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.
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
Thicket Tinamou
Ranges from Colombia and Venezuela to northeastern Brazil and Bolivia. Sedentary in lowland humid forests and forest edges.
Solitary Tinamou
Restricted to Paraguay, southern Bolivia, and northern Argentina. Sedentary in dry Chaco woodlands and open grasslands year-round.
Conservation Status
Thicket Tinamou
Solitary 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.
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
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.
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.