C. o. obsoletus (Temminck, 1815) C. o. griseiventris (Salvadori, 1895) C. o. hypochraceus (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1938) C. o. punensis (Chubb, 1917) C. o. traylori (Blake, 1961) Traylor's Tinamou[2] C. o. ochraceiventris (Stolzmann, 1926) C. o. castaneus (Sclater, 1858) C. o. knoxi (Phelps, 1976) C. o. cerviniventris (Sclater & Salvin, 1873)
The brown tinamou (Crypturellus obsoletus) is a brownish ground bird found in humid lowland and montane forest in tropical and subtropicalSouth America.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]Subspecies C. o. castaneus, illustration by Keulemans, 1895
All tinamous are usually treated in a single family (Tinamidae) and, contrary to traditional classifications, they are embedded within the group known as ratites, most closely related to the extinct moa of New Zealand. However, unlike ratites (ostriches, rheas, moa, kiwis, emus, cassowaries & elephantbirds), tinamous are capable of flight, although in general, they are not strong fliers. Different ratite lineages evolved separately from ancient flying birds, and tinamous are thought to most closely resemble these ancestral ratites.[4]
C. o. castaneus occurs east of the Andes in northern Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia;[5] sometimes treated as a separate species.
C. o. knoxi occurs in sub-tropical northwestern Venezuela.[5]
C. o. cerviniventris occurs in northern Venezuela.[5]
Additionally, there are records from north Mato GrossoinBrazil, but it remains unclear which subspecies is involved. Most subspecies occur in highlands, but hypochraceus, griseiventris, and the southern populations of the nominate taxon occur in lowlands. It is uncommon to rare in most of its range, but commoner in southeastern Brazil, where it is the most frequently encountered member of its genus.
Crypturellus is formed from three LatinorGreek words. kruptos meaning coveredorhidden, oura meaning tail, and ellus meaning diminutive. Therefore, Crypturellus means small hidden tail.[6]
The brown tinamou is approximately 25 to 30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) in length and it weighs about 350 to 550 g (12–19 oz). Depending on the subspecies involved, the upperparts vary from dark sooty-brown to bright chestnut and the underparts, which usually are paler than the upperparts, vary from chestnut to light ochraceous. The subspeciesgriseiventris is unique in having pale buff-grey underparts. All subspecies can be separated from the superficially similar little tinamou by the greyish (rather than whitish) throat. Females are typically larger and more rufescent than the males.
As other tinamous of its genus, it is a shy, ground-dwelling species, which usually is encountered singly or in pairs. It feeds on fruits, insects, and seeds. The female lays 4-5 deep pink to dark glossy brown eggs on the ground; typically in a small depression at the base of a tree. Its song consists of loud, high-pitches whistles, but exact structure and timbre vary over its range.
Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003). "Tinamous". In Hutchins, Michael (ed.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 57–59. ISBN0-7876-5784-0.
Gotch, A. F. (1995) [1979]. "Tinamous". Latin Names Explained. A Guide to the Scientific Classifications of Reptiles, Birds & Mammals. New York, NY: Facts on File. p. 183. ISBN0-8160-3377-3.
