Elegant Crested Tinamou vs Curve-billed Tinamou
Eudromia elegans compared with Nothoprocta curvirostris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Elegant Crested Tinamou | Curve-billed Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eudromia elegans | Nothoprocta curvirostris |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.1 cm (17.0 in) | 32.0 cm (12.6 in) |
| Weight | 733.5 g (25.87 oz) | 376.0 g (13.26 oz) |
| Diet | Grazes short grasses and sedges; forages in tundra in summer; winters on grassy fields and … | Grazes grasses and sedges in Asian wetlands; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates; forms large flocks; migratory … |
| Clutch Size | 5-16 | 2-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Elegant Crested Tinamou only
None
Curve-billed Tinamou only
Elegant Crested Tinamou
Patagonian steppe, Monte scrub, Pampean grassland, and Andean foothills from sea level to 2,000 m across Argentina and extreme southern Chile. Groups near shrubs and rocky slopes. Tolerates arid environments.
Curve-billed Tinamou
High puna grassland, paramo, and scrubby slopes at 3,000–4,500 m in the Andes of Ecuador and northern Peru. Associated with wet paramo, cushion bogs, and rocky terrain.
Song & Call Comparison
Elegant Crested Tinamou
A musical, clear whistled call from Patagonian shrub steppe. The crested tinamou's call is a series of 3-4 rising notes. Considered a vocal species in its open habitat.
Curve-billed Tinamou
A soft, falling 2-note whistle from Andean cloud forest edges. Carries well through mist-shrouded vegetation. Considered a quieter species overall among highland tinamous.
Geographic Range & Migration
Elegant Crested Tinamou
Inhabits humid lowland forests and thickets from Panama to Bolivia and south to northeastern Argentina. Sedentary and secretive.
Curve-billed Tinamou
Restricted to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais). Sedentary; critically threatened.
Conservation Status
Elegant Crested Tinamou
Curve-billed Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Elegant Crested Tinamou
Brown upperparts intricately streaked and barred buff and black. Distinctive long, forward-curving crest of blackish feathers. White supercilium; white streaks on sides of neck. Belly pale buff.
Curve-billed Tinamou
Brown upperparts with blackish vermiculations and buff streaks. Distinctive curved bill. Pale supercilium. Breast spotted on pale buff; belly whitish. Flanks barred. Andean cloud forest species.
About These Birds
Elegant Crested Tinamou
A slender tinamou with a long forward-curving crest, grey-brown streaked plumage, and boldly striped head. Found in Patagonian steppe and Monte scrub of Argentina and Chile. Social outside breeding season. Runs swiftly and can fly short distances. Males alone incubate glossy violet-green eggs.
Curve-billed Tinamou
A small compact tinamou with a notably long decurved bill, brown-streaked plumage, and pale underparts. Found in high Andean grasslands in Ecuador and Peru. The curved bill is adapted to probing soil for invertebrates and tubers in puna habitats.