Ornate Tinamou vs Spotted Nothura
Nothoprocta ornata compared with Nothura maculosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ornate Tinamou | Spotted Nothura |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothoprocta ornata | Nothura maculosa |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.1 cm (14.6 in) | 24.8 cm (9.8 in) |
| Weight | 624.5 g (22.03 oz) | 256.0 g (9.03 oz) |
| Diet | Herbivorous, grazing grasses and sedges near water; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates during breeding; forms large … | Migratory grazer feeding on grasses, sedges, and grain; winter diet heavily supplemented with cereal crops … |
| 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.
Spotted Nothura
Pampas grassland, agricultural fields, pasture, and open scrubby areas from sea level to 3,000 m across Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, southern Brazil, and Bolivia. Very tolerant of human-modified landscapes.
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.
Spotted Nothura
A rapid, repeated whistle described as 'ki-ki-ki' or a trill. One of the most vocal and frequently heard South American tinamous in campos and grassland habitats.
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.
Spotted Nothura
Restricted to the Andes of southern Chile and adjacent Argentina. Sedentary in Valdivian temperate forest at low to mid elevations.
Conservation Status
Ornate Tinamou
Spotted 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.
Spotted Nothura
Heavily spotted and streaked; buff and brown upperparts with bold dark spots. Pale central crown stripe; buff supercilium. Throat and belly white with spotted breast. Rufous in wings. Common and …
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.
Spotted Nothura
The most common and widespread nothura, with pale brown plumage heavily spotted with black and buff. Found in pampas grasslands, agricultural land, and open scrub across Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Bolivia. Highly terrestrial; flies rarely. Calls with a rapid descending trill.