Little Tinamou vs Ornate Tinamou
Crypturellus soui compared with Nothoprocta ornata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Little Tinamou | Ornate Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus soui | Nothoprocta ornata |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.5 cm (10.0 in) | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 247.25 g (8.72 oz) | 624.5 g (22.03 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous ground-forager; eats seeds, fallen fruits, termites, and beetles across lowland South American forests. | Herbivorous, grazing grasses and sedges near water; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates during breeding; forms large … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 4-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Little Tinamou
Forest edges, dense secondary growth, overgrown clearings, and thickets from sea level to 1,500 m, from southern Mexico through Central America and throughout tropical South America. Highly adaptable.
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
Little Tinamou
A soft, high-pitched, repeated whistle — higher in pitch than most tinamous due to its small size. Song is 2-3 ascending notes. Gives thin alarm 'seet' when disturbed.
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
Little Tinamou
Endemic to subtropical forests of northwestern Argentina, southeastern Bolivia, and adjacent Paraguay. Non-migratory; range restricted.
Ornate Tinamou
Ranges along Pacific slopes of the Andes from Ecuador to central Chile. Sedentary in arid and semi-arid foothill scrub.
Conservation Status
Little Tinamou
Ornate Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Little Tinamou
Males dark brown above with rufous-tinged neck and breast; belly whitish-buff. Females richer rufous-brown with blackish barring on back and wings. Throat pale. Small and compact.
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
Little Tinamou
One of the smallest tinamous, with warm brown plumage, rufous underparts, and a red bill. Widespread from southern Mexico to Bolivia and central Brazil. Inhabits forest edges, thickets, and secondary growth in humid lowlands. Its loud ascending whistle carries far through dense vegetation.
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.