Undulated Tinamou vs Ornate Tinamou
Crypturellus undulatus compared with Nothoprocta ornata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Undulated Tinamou | Ornate Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus undulatus | Nothoprocta ornata |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.5 cm (13.6 in) | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 550.6666666666666 g (19.42 oz) | 624.5 g (22.03 oz) |
| Diet | Ground-forager in South American dry forests; takes seeds, berries, and invertebrates; diet shifts to tubers … | 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
Undulated Tinamou
Humid forests, forest edges, cerrado woodland, and gallery forest in the Amazon basin and adjacent cerrado from Venezuela and Colombia to Argentina. Tolerates seasonally flooded forest and disturbed secondary habitats.
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
Undulated Tinamou
A loud, repeated undulating whistle that rises and falls — matching its name 'undulated'. Carries well through várzea forest and wetland edges across its broad range.
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
Undulated Tinamou
Found in scrubby hillsides and forest edges from Mexico south through Central America to Honduras. Sedentary at low to mid elevations.
Ornate Tinamou
Ranges along Pacific slopes of the Andes from Ecuador to central Chile. Sedentary in arid and semi-arid foothill scrub.
Conservation Status
Undulated Tinamou
Ornate Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Undulated Tinamou
Brown upperparts with pronounced wavy blackish barring and undulations. Pale buff-white throat; breast rufous-brown. Belly whitish with barred flanks. Reddish-orange legs diagnostic. 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
Undulated Tinamou
A medium-sized tinamou with fine undulating barring throughout its brown plumage, giving it a scalloped look. Widespread in Amazonian and Cerrado habitats. Produces a distinctive three- or four-note fluted call. Feeds on fallen fruits, arthropods, and seeds, often near gallery forests and water.
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.