Elegant Crested Tinamou vs Great Tinamou
Eudromia elegans compared with Tinamus major
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Elegant Crested Tinamou | Great Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eudromia elegans | Tinamus major |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.1 cm (17.0 in) | 48.2 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 733.5 g (25.87 oz) | 1006.75 g (35.51 oz) |
| Diet | Grazes short grasses and sedges; forages in tundra in summer; winters on grassy fields and … | Ground-forager eating seeds, fallen fruits, and small invertebrates in Chilean matorral scrub; pecks and scratches … |
| Clutch Size | 5-16 | 3-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
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
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.
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
Elegant Crested Tinamou
Inhabits humid lowland forests and thickets from Panama to Bolivia and south to northeastern Argentina. Sedentary and secretive.
Great Tinamou
Found in open habitats from Venezuela and Guianas through Bolivia to northeastern Argentina. Sedentary in dry savannas and grasslands.
Conservation Status
Elegant Crested Tinamou
Great 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.
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
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.
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.