Subfamily Tinaminae Higher classification Crypturellus Order Tinamou | Family Tinamidae Genus Crypturellus Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Similar Tinamou, Crypturellus, Slaty‑breasted tinamou, Berlepsch's tinamou, Tepui tinamou | ||
Thicket tinamou
The thicket tinamou or rufescent tinamou (Crypturellus cinnamomeus) is a type of tinamou commonly found in moist forests in subtropical and tropical Central Mexico. Although the thicket tinamou is recognized by most authorities, the SACC still classifies this bird as a sub-species of Crypturellus erythropus, red-legged tinamou.
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Taxonomy
All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also ratites. Unlike other ratites, tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers. All ratites evolved from prehistoric flying birds, and tinamous are the closest living relative of these birds.
René-Primevère Lesson identified the thicket tinamou from a specimen from La Unión, El Salvador., in 1842.
Subspecies
The thicket tinamou has many subspecies as follows:
Etymology
Crypturellus is formed from three Latin or Greek words. kruptos (κρυπτός) meaning covered or hidden, oura meaning tail, and ellus meaning diminutive. Therefore Crypturellus means small hidden tail.
Description
The thicket tinamou is 27 to 29 cm (11–11 in) in length and weighs 440 g (16 oz). Its upper parts are brown, heavily barred blackish on back, rump and wings. Its lowerparts pale brown, cinnamon on breast, greyer on belly and undertail whitish with dark barring. Its head brown with prominent buff supercilium and well-defined ear covert patch with bill brownish and legs red in color.
Behavior
The species has a monotonous voice ‘whoo-oo’, sounding like a steam engine. The thicket tinamou can be found in pairs, families or as a solitary bird and, like most tinamous, it prefers to walk than fly.
Feeding
Like most tinamous, it will eat fruit, seeds and invertebrates.
Reproduction
Like most tinamous, it will place its nest on the ground alongside raised roots. It will contain around three eggs, but as many as seven, that are glossy and purple in color. This species and the slaty-breasted tinamou will produce hybrids.
Range
This species ranges from Sinaloa, (coastal strip, western Mexico), to Costa Rica, and eastern coastal Mexico, from the United States border into Belize. In the southern part of its range it ventures into the highlands as well.
Habitat
This species prefers moist lowland forest, gallery forest, deciduous forest, and secondary forest in subtropical and tropical regions, but will be found in shrubland and drier forests up to 1,850 m (6,070 ft) altitude.
Conservation
The IUCN lists this bird as Least Concern, with an occurrence range of 600,000 km2 (230,000 sq mi).