Andean Tinamou vs Red-winged Tinamou

Nothoprocta pentlandii compared with Rhynchotus rufescens

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Andean Tinamou Red-winged Tinamou
Scientific Name Nothoprocta pentlandii Rhynchotus rufescens
Order Tinamiformes Tinamiformes
Family Tinamidae Tinamidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 29.6 cm (11.7 in) 41.8 cm (16.5 in)
Weight 316.01666666666665 g (11.15 oz) 810.0 g (28.57 oz)
Diet Herbivorous grazer feeding on grasses and aquatic sedges near wetlands; supplements diet with aquatic invertebrates … Grazes on grasses, sedges, and fallen seeds near ponds; dabbles for aquatic invertebrates during nesting …
Clutch Size 5-8 3-9
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Andean Tinamou only

None

Red-winged Tinamou only

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.

Red-winged Tinamou

Open grasslands, pampas, cerrado, and forest-edge pastures from eastern Brazil through Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. Adapts well to agricultural landscapes. Prefers tall grass for nesting and concealment.

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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.

Red-winged Tinamou

Song

A loud, mellow, 3-note whistled song that carries across open grasslands. Far-carrying and melodic for an open-country tinamou. Often heard at dusk from tall grass cover.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Andean Tinamou

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

Red-winged Tinamou

Restricted to humid forests of southeastern Brazil, from Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul. Sedentary in Atlantic Forest.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Andean Tinamou

Least Concern

Red-winged Tinamou

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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.

Red-winged Tinamou

Plumage

Upperparts brown with heavy black streaking on back. Crown dark streaked. Distinctive rufous-chestnut wings conspicuous in flight. Throat pale; breast brownish-buff streaked. Belly pale buff.

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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.

Red-winged Tinamou

A large robust tinamou with rich rufous-brown plumage and distinctive reddish flight feathers visible in flight. The largest tinamou of South American open country. Inhabits grasslands and cerrado. Calls with a distinctive three-note whistle. Males alone incubate the deep olive-green eggs.

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