The curve-billed tinamou (''Nothoprocta curvirostris'') is a type of
tinamou commonly found in high-altitude grassland and shrubland habitats in the
Andes of
South America.
[Clements, J. (2007)]
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.
Taxonomy
All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also
ratite
A ratite () is any of a diverse group of flightless, large, long-necked, and long-legged birds of the infraclass Palaeognathae. Kiwi, the exception, are much smaller and shorter-legged and are the only nocturnal extant ratites.
The systematics ...
s. 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.
[Davies, S. J. J. F. (2003)]
Subspecies
The curve-billed tinamou has two subspecies as follows:
* ''N. c. curvirostris'', the nominate race, occurs in the
Andes of central and southern
Ecuador and northern
Peru (
Cordillera del Condor
A cordillera is an extensive chain and/or network system of mountain ranges, such as those in the west coast of the Americas. The term is borrowed from Spanish, where the word comes from , a diminutive of ('rope').
The term is most commonly us ...
)
* ''N. c. peruviana'' occurs in the
Andes of northern and central
Peru; eastern
Piura
Piura is a city in northwestern Peru located in the Sechura Desert on the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017.
It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro fou ...
,
Cajamarca,
Amazonas, western
San Martín
San Martín or San Martin may refer to:
People Saints
* Saint Martin (disambiguation)#People, name of various saints in Spanish
Political leaders
*Vicente San Martin (1839 -1901), Military, National hero of Mexico.
*Basilio San Martin (1849 ...
,
La Libertad,
Ancash, and
Huánuco Regions
Characteristics
The curve-billed tinamou is approximately in length. Its upper parts are dark brown streaked with white and spotted with black. Its breast is rufous and spotted with white, its belly is tawny-buff and its crown is black, the sides of its head, and its throat and foreneck are white. Finally, its legs are brown in color.
Behavior
Like other tinamous, the curve-billed tinamou eats fruit off the ground or low-lying bushes. They also eat small amounts of
invertebrates, flower buds, tender leaves, seeds, and roots. The male incubates the eggs which may come from as many as 4 different females, and then will raise them until they are ready to be on their own, usually 2–3 weeks. The nest is located on the ground in dense brush or between raised root buttresses.
Range and habitat
This tinamou lives in the
Andes of central and southern
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, through
Ecuador and northern and central
Peru.
It prefers grassland at in altitude. It also can be found in high-altitude shrubland and pasture.
[BirdLife International (2008)]
Conservation
The
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
list this species as
Least Concern,
with an occurrence range of .
Footnotes
References
*
*
*
*
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1272591
curve-billed tinamou
Ratites
curve-billed tinamou
Birds of the Ecuadorian Andes
Birds of the Peruvian Andes
curve-billed tinamou
curve-billed tinamou
curve-billed tinamou