Andean Tinamou vs Puna Tinamou
Nothoprocta pentlandii compared with Tinamotis pentlandii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Andean Tinamou | Puna Tinamou |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nothoprocta pentlandii | Tinamotis pentlandii |
| Order | Tinamiformes | Tinamiformes |
| Family | Tinamidae | Tinamidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.6 cm (11.7 in) | 50.7 cm (20.0 in) |
| Weight | 316.01666666666665 g (11.15 oz) | 943.2 g (33.27 oz) |
| Diet | Herbivorous grazer feeding on grasses and aquatic sedges near wetlands; supplements diet with aquatic invertebrates … | Eats grasses, roots, and aquatic plants; grazes pastures and wetland margins; diet shifts to cereal … |
| Clutch Size | 5-8 | 4-7 |
| 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.
Puna Tinamou
Open puna grassland, bunchgrass plains, and rocky hillsides at 3,500–5,000 m in the Andes from Peru through Bolivia to northern Chile and northwestern Argentina.
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.
Puna Tinamou
A high-pitched, clear whistle from high Andean puna. Call carries through the thin air of altiplano above 4,000 m elevation. Among the highest-dwelling tinamou species.
Geographic Range & Migration
Andean Tinamou
Inhabits forests and edges in a broad arc from Costa Rica to northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil. Largely sedentary.
Puna Tinamou
Inhabits marshes and wetland edges across the Southern Cone; from southeastern Brazil to Patagonian Argentina. Partially migratory.
Conservation Status
Andean Tinamou
Puna Tinamou
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.
Puna Tinamou
Large; grayish-brown upperparts streaked dark. Crown grayish with pale central stripe; white supercilium. Breast grayish spotted; flanks barred. Belly whitish. Adapted to high-altitude Andean puna.
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.
Puna Tinamou
A large robustly built tinamou with grey-brown streaked plumage and a slightly crested head. The only tinamou with a vestigial crest. Found on high Andean puna and altiplano. Gregarious, foraging in flocks on bunchgrass plains and rocky hillsides.