Brushland Tinamou vs Curve-billed Tinamou
Nothoprocta cinerascens compared with Nothoprocta curvirostris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Brushland Tinamou | Curve-billed Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothoprocta cinerascens | Nothoprocta curvirostris |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 36.2 cm (14.3 in) | 32.0 cm (12.6 in) |
| Weight | 526.25 g (18.56 oz) | 376.0 g (13.26 oz) |
| Diet | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants; dabbles at water's edge for invertebrates; gregarious grazer on … | Grazes grasses and sedges in Asian wetlands; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates; forms large flocks; migratory … |
| Clutch Size | 8-11 | 2-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Brushland Tinamou
Dry brushland, thorny scrub, and chaco woodland in Bolivia, Paraguay, and northwestern Argentina. Prefers hot semi-arid environments with sparse tree cover and dense ground vegetation.
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
Brushland Tinamou
A low, repeated whistle from dry Chaco scrub. Call is unremarkable — a simple repeated note. Cryptic and secretive; the call is often the only indication of presence.
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
Brushland Tinamou
Found on the Pacific slopes of the Andes from Colombia to northern Chile. Sedentary in dense cloud forest between 800–2,500 m.
Curve-billed Tinamou
Restricted to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais). Sedentary; critically threatened.
Conservation Status
Brushland Tinamou
Curve-billed Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
Brushland Tinamou
Pale grayish-brown upperparts with dark brown streaks and pale buff shaft streaks. Supercilium buff. Breast finely streaked; belly pale. More washed-out and ashy than other Nothoprocta tinamous.
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
Brushland Tinamou
A medium-sized plainly colored tinamou with grey-brown plumage and subtle barring. Found in dry brushland and thorny scrub of the Gran Chaco and Pampas regions. Terrestrial and secretive; calls infrequently. Adapted to arid and semi-arid open habitats of central South America.
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.