Family Tinamidae Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Order Tinamiformes Subfamily Tinaminae Scientific name Crypturellus undulatus Higher classification Crypturellus | |
Similar Crypturellus, Small‑billed tinamou, Yellow‑legged tinamou, Tinamou, Brown tinamou | ||
Undulated tinamou
The undulated tinamou (Crypturellus undulatus) is a species of ground bird found in a wide range of wooded habitats in eastern and northern South America.
Contents
Ja undulated tinamou
Etymology
Crypturellus is formed from three Latin or Greek words. Kruptos meaning covered or hidden, oura meaning tail, and ellus meaning diminutive. Therefore Crypturellus means small hidden tail. The species name undulatus originates from the Latin word for wave, and refers to the wave-like pattern on its plumage.
Taxonomy
All tinamous 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.
Subspecies
However, the exact distribution limits of some of the subspecies are unclear. Notably the population between the Madeira and Purús Rivers (between generally reported range of C. u. adspersus and C. u. yapura), and the population between the Tapajós and Araguaia Rivers (between generally reported range of C. u. adspersus and C. u. vermiculatus) appear not to have been assigned to subspecies.
Description
The undulated tinamou is approximately 28 to 30 cm (11.0–11.8 in) in length, and weighs around 300 grams (0.66 lb). Depending on subspecies, it is overall brownish tinged grey to various extend, and has a strong, black barred to faint vermiculated pattern on the back and neck (for example, while C. u. undulatus is relatively rich brown and strongly barred, C. u. yapura is darker, more grey-tinged and only has faint vermiculations). It has a whitish throat, and the remainder of its underparts are olive-grey to buff with dark vermiculation on its lower flanks and vent. Its bill is black above and grey below. The legs and feet are grey, dull yellow or greenish.
Behavior
The nest of the undulated tinamou consists of a depression on the ground, where the female lays around three glossy vinaceous pink or light grey eggs. The incubation time is 17 days in captivity. It feeds on small fruits, seeds and insects.
As other tinamous, the undulated tinamou is secretive, and more frequently heard than seen. The song, commonly given throughout the day, consists of a deep, three or four noted whistle, which has been described by the onomatopoetic com-pra pan ("buy bread" in Spanish) or Eu sou jaó ("I am Undulated Tinamou" in Portuguese).
Habitat
The undulated tinamou occurs at altitudes of up to 900 m (3,000 ft). It occurs in a wide range of wooded habitats, ranging from dense, humid Amazonian forests, to dry, relatively open savanna-woodland. Although most of the range of the undulated tinamou is in the Amazon Basin, significant parts are in drier habitats such as the Cerrado (most of the range of C. u. vermiculatus is in the Cerrado region). Though generally considered resident, minor seasonal movements between habitats do occur locally.
Conservation
Though heavily hunted in some regions, the undulated tinamou remains common in most parts of its range. The IUCN classifies it as Least Concern, and its range of occurrence has been estimated to 8,600,000 km2 (3,300,000 sq mi).