Cinereous tinamou

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Cinereous tinamou

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Order: Tinamiformes
Family: Tinamidae
Genus: Crypturellus
Species: C. cinereus
Binomial name
Crypturellus cinereus
(Gmelin, 1789)[2]
 range map of the cinereous
tinamou

The cinereous tinamou (Crypturellus cinereus), also known as brushland

tinamou,[3] is a type of ground bird found in swamp and lowland forests in
northern South America.[4] They have some localized names that have been
used by the indigenous people such as in Amazonas where they are
called inambu-pixuna, and in Pará, Brazil where they are called nambu-sujo.
Also, throughout their range they are called inhambu-preto.[5] Cinereous
tinamous have been around for many centuries. They are part of the oldest
families of the world today and have fossils discovered dating back tens of
millions of years. Their quick reflexes play a role in their ability to survive.

Contents

 1Taxonomy
 2Etymology
 3Description
 4Behavior
 4.1Voice
 4.2Breeding
 4.3Food and feeding
 4.4Movement
 5Habitat
 6Range
 7Conservation
 8Footnotes
 9References

Taxonomy[edit]
The cinereous tinamou is a monotypic species.[4] 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.[6] Gmelin originally placed this bird in the Tetrao genus,
as Tetrao cinereus,[3] which is indicative of its apparent, but incorrect,
closeness to the other game birds.

Etymology[edit]
Crypturellus is formed from
three Latin or Greek words. Kruptos meaning covered or hidden, oura meani
ng tail, and ellus meaning diminutive. Therefore, Crypturellus means small
hidden tail.[7] The term cinereous describes its colouration.

Description[edit]
The cinereous tinamou is a shy and secretive bird. It is approximately 29–
32 cm (11–13 in) in length,[3][5] and the male bird weighs around 435 grams
(15.3 oz) and the female of the species weighs 549–602 grams (19.4–
21.2 oz).[3]
It is colored similar to the Berlepsch's tinamou in that it is dark brown to sooty
brown or brownish black in coloration. It tends to be a tad more brown than
the Berlepsch's tinamou. It is recognized by its smoky-grey with reddish-
brown crown and nape.[3] The feather shafts on side of its head are white,
which shows through on occasion.[5] Their color helps them blend with
the environment making it harder for predators to detect them. The under
parts of the bird are only slightly paler than the body, and the legs appear a
dull orange to yellow. They have a light-colored eye ring. [3] Their bill has a
dark upper mandible and a yellow lower mandible. In general, their bill is very
similar to the Berlpesch's tinamou's except it trends smaller and thinner. [3] The
females are generally slightly larger in size then the males.

Behavior[edit]
The cinereous tinamou is diurnal. When they are frightened or surprised they
usually run off very quickly. Their instincts have adapted to act quickly since
they live their lives on the ground and have to flee quickly to
avoid predators so they are rarely seen by humans. They have a tendency to
walk or run rather than to fly. They are capable of flight, but it is unusual and
short. While the cinereous tinamou may only be in flight for a short duration,
their flight is strong and direct. They tend to occur either alone or in pairs, and
generally do not travel in groups.
Voice[edit]
The cinereous tinamou is specially known to be easy to hear, but very difficult
to see. It has a loud distinctive whistle heard mainly at dawn and dusk. Their
whistles have a unique pitch and last almost two seconds between each
whistle. Their whistles are mostly heard at dawn and dusk, and
are monosyllabic. The bird is very capable of projecting its voice to seem like
it came from another direction so hearing them and finding their exact location
is very difficult. The call between the males and females are similar but not
identical to the human ear. Their space between calls shortens as time
progresses, so as to appear as to be speeding up in frequency. [3]
Breeding[edit]
The breeding season of the cinereous tinamou is year-round due to the
perfect climate that they live in; however there is a period of preferred mating,
which is August through October, except in Colombia, where it is in June.
[3] Like the majority of the tinamou family, the males practice
simultaneous polygyny and the females practice successive polyandry. To
initiate courtship, the males will usually call out to attract the females. It is
believed that the courtship ritual is similar to that of others in their family. This
courtship ritual involves the male lowering their chest to the ground. While
doing this, they will stretch their neck forward and raise their posterior. It is
believed that this serves a dual purpose, in that it appears that they are larger
and thus more attractive to the females, and that they are larger and more
dangerous to other males.[3]
The cinereous tinamou nest is less a nest and more just a location on the
forest floor, sometimes made of some leaves laid on the ground. They do
choose a sheltered location, usually near a tree. [3] The female will lay about
two eggs in season. These eggs appear salmon violet colored, and are
considered very colorful. Over time, the eggs will change color to a dark or
sometimes milk chocolate color.[5]
The young of cinereous tinamous are capable of moving around when they
are hatched to the point that they can almost run as soon as they're hatched.
They are dark brown with a reddish speckling.[3]
Food and feeding[edit]
The food habits of the cinereous tinamou depend on the season and habitat
although they are mostly herbivorous, with a heavy focus on fruit, similar to
other members of Crypturellus. In the summer their diet consists of small
fruits, seeds, and small invertebrates. The majority of the invertebrates that
they eat are ants, mole-crickets, and pentatomids.[3] In the winter time they
usually eat a wide variety of seeds or berries collected on the ground, with a
focus on the acai berry.[5] They are considered a benefit to the nature
for insect pest because of their large insect consumption.[citation needed] When
the cinereous tinamou is young it is more dependent on insects than when
they become adults. The cinereous tinamou does not scratch for food, but
instead looks under leaves or uses its bill to dig.
Movement[edit]
The cinereous tinamou is a sedentary species.

Habitat[edit]
The cinereous tinamou lives in a lowland rainforest or swamp forest, up to
700 m (2,300 ft) altitude.[8] They also live in second growth forest, along