Undulated Tinamou vs Great Tinamou
Crypturellus undulatus compared with Tinamus major
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Undulated Tinamou | Great Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crypturellus undulatus | Tinamus major |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.5 cm (13.6 in) | 48.2 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 550.6666666666666 g (19.42 oz) | 1006.75 g (35.51 oz) |
| Diet | Ground-forager in South American dry forests; takes seeds, berries, and invertebrates; diet shifts to tubers … | Ground-forager eating seeds, fallen fruits, and small invertebrates in Chilean matorral scrub; pecks and scratches … |
| Clutch Size | 4-5 | 3-6 |
| 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.
Great Tinamou
Humid lowland and foothill tropical rainforest from southern Mexico through Central America to Bolivia and southeastern Brazil. Prefers undisturbed forest interior with dense understorey. Nests on the ground.
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.
Great Tinamou
A beautiful, pure whistled phrase repeated at regular intervals from the forest floor. Call is a clear 'wheeeoo-wheeeoo'. Among the most musical tinamou calls in its range.
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.
Great Tinamou
Found in open habitats from Venezuela and Guianas through Bolivia to northeastern Argentina. Sedentary in dry savannas and grasslands.
Conservation Status
Undulated Tinamou
Great 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.
Great Tinamou
Olive-brown to grayish-brown upperparts with black vermiculations and barring. Crown darker brownish; throat whitish. Breast grayish-brown; belly pale buff. Flanks barred with dark brown.
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.
Great Tinamou
The largest regularly occurring tinamou, with brownish-grey plumage, barred wings, and a pale belly. Common in lowland Neotropical rainforest from Mexico to Bolivia. Males incubate glossy teal-colored eggs. Their haunting multi-note calls resonate through the forest, making them acoustically conspicuous yet visually elusive.