Choco Tinamou vs Ornate Tinamou
Crypturellus kerriae compared with Nothoprocta ornata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Choco Tinamou | Ornate Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus kerriae | Nothoprocta ornata |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.8 cm (12.1 in) | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 443.4 g (15.64 oz) | 624.5 g (22.03 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, small invertebrates, and fallen berries in South American savanna; solitary ground feeder. | Herbivorous, grazing grasses and sedges near water; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates during breeding; forms large … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 4-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Choco Tinamou
Dense humid lowland forest in the Darién region of eastern Panama and Chocó of Colombia, below 300 m. Extremely restricted to this narrow Pacific bioregion. Rarely encountered even by experienced field ornithologists.
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
Choco Tinamou
A soft, hesitant whistle from dense Choco rainforest — one of the most poorly documented tinamou calls, reflecting its restricted and threatened lowland Pacific rainforest habitat.
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
Choco Tinamou
Inhabits open grasslands and steppes of Patagonian Argentina and Chile. Largely sedentary; some seasonal altitudinal movements.
Ornate Tinamou
Ranges along Pacific slopes of the Andes from Ecuador to central Chile. Sedentary in arid and semi-arid foothill scrub.
Conservation Status
Choco Tinamou
Ornate Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Choco Tinamou
Dark brown upperparts with blackish barring; crown dark. Throat whitish; breast and flanks rufous-brown. Belly pale buff. Reddish legs. Restricted to humid Chocó forests; 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
Choco Tinamou
A small dark tinamou with black-barred olive-brown plumage. One of the least-known tinamous in the world, restricted to the Chocó bioregion of Colombia and Panama. Known from very few specimens; virtually unstudied in the field. Inhabits dense lowland Pacific forest.
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.