Andean Tinamou vs Lesser Nothura
Nothoprocta pentlandii compared with Nothura minor
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Andean Tinamou | Lesser Nothura |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothoprocta pentlandii | Nothura minor |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.6 cm (11.7 in) | 22.0 cm (8.7 in) |
| Weight | 316.01666666666665 g (11.15 oz) | 163.33333333333334 g (5.76 oz) |
| Diet | Herbivorous grazer feeding on grasses and aquatic sedges near wetlands; supplements diet with aquatic invertebrates … | Eats grasses, seeds, and aquatic plants; migratory; supplements diet with invertebrates in breeding season across … |
| Clutch Size | 5-8 | 2-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Lesser Nothura
Native campo sujo and campo limpo grasslands of the cerrado biome in central Brazil. Highly dependent on intact native grassland with bunchgrass structure; very sensitive to exotic grass invasion and burning.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Lesser Nothura
A thin, high whistle, poorly documented due to its vulnerable status and restricted campos habitat in interior Brazil. Rarely recorded; calls are considered similar to Spotted Nothura.
Geographic Range & Migration
Andean Tinamou
Inhabits forests and edges in a broad arc from Costa Rica to northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil. Largely sedentary.
Lesser Nothura
Found in open grassy habitats of central South America from Bolivia and Brazil to Argentina. Sedentary; forages in short grassland.
Conservation Status
Andean Tinamou
Lesser Nothura
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Lesser Nothura
Tiny cerrado tinamou; brown upperparts with fine buff and black streaking. Pale supercilium. Throat and breast buff-white spotted brown. Belly whitish. Smallest Nothura; threatened grassland specialist.
About These Birds
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.
Lesser Nothura
A very small tinamou with finely streaked brown plumage and whitish underparts. One of the smallest tinamous. Restricted to the cerrado campos and grasslands of central Brazil. Critically Endangered due to loss of native cerrado. Calls with a thin high-pitched whistle.