Hooded Tinamou vs Ornate Tinamou
Nothocercus nigrocapillus compared with Nothoprocta ornata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Hooded Tinamou | Ornate Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothocercus nigrocapillus | Nothoprocta ornata |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.4 cm (14.7 in) | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 540.0 g (19.05 oz) | 624.5 g (22.03 oz) |
| Diet | Ground-gleaner eating seeds, fallen fruits, and arthropods in Atlantic Forest undergrowth; diet peaks in invertebrates … | Herbivorous, grazing grasses and sedges near water; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates during breeding; forms large … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 4-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Hooded Tinamou
Dense humid montane forest at 2,000–3,000 m in the Andes of Bolivia and Peru. Favors moist steep terrain with thick fern cover and rocky outcrops. Rarely recorded far from dense forest.
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
Hooded Tinamou
A repeated hollow whistle with a slightly quavering quality. The call is 'wheeooo-wheeooo' given slowly from dense highland undergrowth. Rarely heard except at dusk.
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
Hooded Tinamou
Restricted to wet forests and savannas of Patagonia in southern Chile and Argentina. Locally sedentary; some altitudinal movements.
Ornate Tinamou
Ranges along Pacific slopes of the Andes from Ecuador to central Chile. Sedentary in arid and semi-arid foothill scrub.
Conservation Status
Hooded Tinamou
Ornate Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Hooded Tinamou
Upperparts brown, barred and vermiculated black. Distinctive blackish hood on crown and nape contrasting with paler face and white throat. Breast rufous-brown; belly buff. 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
Hooded Tinamou
A medium-sized tinamou notable for its black crown and nape contrasting with rufous-brown body plumage. Found in humid montane forests of the central Andes. Terrestrial and elusive; detected most easily by its loud clear whistle at dawn and dusk. Forages for fruits and invertebrates.
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.