Ornate Tinamou vs Andean Tinamou
Nothoprocta ornata compared with Nothoprocta pentlandii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ornate Tinamou | Andean Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothoprocta ornata | Nothoprocta pentlandii |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) | 29.6 cm (11.7 in) |
| Weight | 624.5 g (22.03 oz) | 316.01666666666665 g (11.15 oz) |
| Diet | Herbivorous, grazing grasses and sedges near water; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates during breeding; forms large … | Herbivorous grazer feeding on grasses and aquatic sedges near wetlands; supplements diet with aquatic invertebrates … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 5-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Andean Tinamou
Andean valleys, foothills, scrubby slopes, and agricultural land at 1,500–4,000 m from Ecuador through Peru and Bolivia to northwestern Argentina. Tolerates degraded and cultivated areas with scrub remnants.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Andean Tinamou
A rising 2-note whistle from Andean scrub and grassland. Frequently heard during early morning. Considered a vocal species within its highland habitat.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ornate Tinamou
Ranges along Pacific slopes of the Andes from Ecuador to central Chile. Sedentary in arid and semi-arid foothill scrub.
Andean Tinamou
Inhabits forests and edges in a broad arc from Costa Rica to northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil. Largely sedentary.
Conservation Status
Ornate Tinamou
Andean Tinamou
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Andean Tinamou
Gray-brown upperparts with blackish streaks and buff shaft-streaks. Pale buff supercilium. Breast spotted brown on buff. Belly whitish. Compact; common across Andean grasslands and scrub.
About These Birds
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.
Andean Tinamou
A medium-sized tinamou with brown streaked plumage and pale supercilium. Widespread in Andean foothills and inter-Andean valleys from Ecuador to Argentina. Adaptable and locally common; inhabits a variety of open and scrubby habitats at mid to high altitudes.