Tataupa Tinamou vs Ornate Tinamou
Crypturellus tataupa compared with Nothoprocta ornata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Tataupa Tinamou | Ornate Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus tataupa | Nothoprocta ornata |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 24.7 cm (9.7 in) | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 221.25 g (7.80 oz) | 624.5 g (22.03 oz) |
| Diet | Herbivorous waterfowl; grazes grasses and sedges near water; supplements diet with aquatic invertebrates in breeding … | Herbivorous, grazing grasses and sedges near water; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates during breeding; forms large … |
| Clutch Size | 4-5 | 4-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Tataupa Tinamou
Cerrado, dry woodland, caatinga scrub, and forest edges from eastern Brazil through Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Tolerates degraded and secondary habitats. Common near agricultural land with remnant scrub.
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
Tataupa Tinamou
A musical, 3-note ascending whistle. The Tataupa Tinamou is considered one of the more vocal and distinctive-calling species in the genus, heard in Atlantic Forest undergrowth.
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
Tataupa Tinamou
Found in lowland forests and swampy areas from Colombia and Venezuela to southeastern Brazil. Sedentary; locally common.
Ornate Tinamou
Ranges along Pacific slopes of the Andes from Ecuador to central Chile. Sedentary in arid and semi-arid foothill scrub.
Conservation Status
Tataupa Tinamou
Ornate Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Tataupa Tinamou
Plain grayish-brown upperparts with very fine dark vermiculations. Crown slightly darker. Throat pale whitish. Breast and flanks gray-brown; belly whitish. Reddish bill and legs. 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
Tataupa Tinamou
A small tinamou with brown upperparts, white-spotted dark flanks, and a red-orange bill. Common in cerrado, dry woodland, and scrubby forest edges of central and eastern South America. Calls with a distinctive repetitive whistle. Highly terrestrial, running swiftly through low 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.