Andean Tinamou vs Huayco Tinamou

Nothoprocta pentlandii compared with Rhynchotus maculicollis

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Andean Tinamou Huayco Tinamou
Scientific Name Nothoprocta pentlandii Rhynchotus maculicollis
Order Tinamiformes Tinamiformes
Family Tinamidae Tinamidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 29.6 cm (11.7 in) 42.4 cm (16.7 in)
Weight 316.01666666666665 g (11.15 oz) 900.8333333333334 g (31.78 oz)
Diet Herbivorous grazer feeding on grasses and aquatic sedges near wetlands; supplements diet with aquatic invertebrates … Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic vegetation near rivers; dabbles for invertebrates; diet richer in seeds …
Clutch Size 5-8 --
Population Trend — —

Song & Call Comparison

Andean Tinamou

Song

A rising 2-note whistle from Andean scrub and grassland. Frequently heard during early morning. Considered a vocal species within its highland habitat.

Huayco Tinamou

Song

A slower, slightly lower whistle than the Red-winged Tinamou. Calls from steep scrubby Andean slopes. Relatively poorly documented compared to its lowland relatives.

Geographic Range & Migration

Andean Tinamou

Inhabits forests and edges in a broad arc from Costa Rica to northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil. Largely sedentary.

Huayco Tinamou

Inhabits open savannas and grasslands from Colombia and Venezuela to Bolivia and southern Brazil. Sedentary; walks in tall grass.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Andean Tinamou

Least Concern

Huayco Tinamou

How to Tell Them Apart

Andean Tinamou

Plumage

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.

Huayco Tinamou

Plumage

Brown upperparts heavily streaked black; rufous-chestnut wings visible in flight. Neck and upper breast spotted and streaked on buff-white ground. Belly pale. Andean grassland species; sexes similar.

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.

Huayco Tinamou

A large tinamou with spotted brown-and-buff plumage, closely related to the Red-winged Tinamou. Found on Andean slopes and high-altitude grasslands in Bolivia and Peru. Less studied than its relative; inhabits dry puna scrub and rocky slopes.

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