Ornate Tinamou vs Darwin's Nothura
Nothoprocta ornata compared with Nothura darwinii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ornate Tinamou | Darwin's Nothura |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothoprocta ornata | Nothura darwinii |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) | 25.3 cm (10.0 in) |
| Weight | 624.5 g (22.03 oz) | 242.25 g (8.55 oz) |
| Diet | Herbivorous, grazing grasses and sedges near water; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates during breeding; forms large … | Grazes grasses, grain stubble, and aquatic plants; migratory goose with diet shifting to agricultural grain … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 3-9 |
| 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.
Darwin's Nothura
Puna grassland, Andean steppe, and altiplano at 3,000–4,500 m from Peru through Bolivia and Chile to central Argentina. Tolerates dry exposed conditions and some human disturbance.
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.
Darwin's Nothura
A fast, rippling 3-note whistle from puna grassland and desert scrub. Call is considered brighter and faster than related nothuras. Heard during morning and evening activity.
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.
Darwin's Nothura
Endemic to the Colombian and Venezuelan Andes; inhabits paramo above 3,000 m. Sedentary and high-altitude specialist year-round.
Conservation Status
Ornate Tinamou
Darwin's Nothura
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.
Darwin's Nothura
Brown upperparts with buff and black streaking; crown dark with pale central stripe. Pale supercilium. Breast buff spotted dark brown. Belly whitish. Arid Andean foothills and pampas specialist.
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.
Darwin's Nothura
A small tinamou named in honor of Charles Darwin, with streaked brown plumage and pale underparts. Common in puna grasslands and Andean steppe of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Terrestrial and gregarious; moves in small groups. Calls with a rapid trilling whistle.