Curve-billed Tinamou vs Puna Tinamou
Nothoprocta curvirostris compared with Tinamotis pentlandii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Curve-billed Tinamou | Puna Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothoprocta curvirostris | Tinamotis pentlandii |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 32.0 cm (12.6 in) | 50.7 cm (20.0 in) |
| Weight | 376.0 g (13.26 oz) | 943.2 g (33.27 oz) |
| Diet | Grazes grasses and sedges in Asian wetlands; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates; forms large flocks; migratory … | Eats grasses, roots, and aquatic plants; grazes pastures and wetland margins; diet shifts to cereal … |
| Clutch Size | 2-4 | 4-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Puna Tinamou
Open puna grassland, bunchgrass plains, and rocky hillsides at 3,500–5,000 m in the Andes from Peru through Bolivia to northern Chile and northwestern Argentina.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Puna Tinamou
A high-pitched, clear whistle from high Andean puna. Call carries through the thin air of altiplano above 4,000 m elevation. Among the highest-dwelling tinamou species.
Geographic Range & Migration
Curve-billed Tinamou
Restricted to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais). Sedentary; critically threatened.
Puna Tinamou
Inhabits marshes and wetland edges across the Southern Cone; from southeastern Brazil to Patagonian Argentina. Partially migratory.
Conservation Status
Curve-billed Tinamou
Puna Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Puna Tinamou
Large; grayish-brown upperparts streaked dark. Crown grayish with pale central stripe; white supercilium. Breast grayish spotted; flanks barred. Belly whitish. Adapted to high-altitude Andean puna.
About These Birds
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.
Puna Tinamou
A large robustly built tinamou with grey-brown streaked plumage and a slightly crested head. The only tinamou with a vestigial crest. Found on high Andean puna and altiplano. Gregarious, foraging in flocks on bunchgrass plains and rocky hillsides.