The black-capped tinamou is a type of tinamou commonly found in the moist forest lowlands in subtropical and tropical regions.
Region
Western Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
It inhabits humid lowland and foothill forests, favoring dense understory and areas with abundant leaf litter. It also occurs in secondary growth, riverine forest, and forest edges where cover remains thick. The species is largely terrestrial, moving quietly along the forest floor. It avoids open areas, preferring continuous canopy and shaded understory for concealment.
Altitude Range
100–1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The black-capped tinamou is a shy, ground-dwelling bird of lowland tropical forests and belongs to one of the most ancient living bird lineages. Unlike other ratites, tinamous can fly, though only in short, explosive bursts. Males typically incubate the eggs and care for the chicks, often from multiple females in a single nest.
Temperament
secretive and shy
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, it forages quietly on the forest floor. Nests are shallow scrapes concealed in dense cover. Males perform all incubation and chick-rearing, often for a clutch composed of eggs laid by multiple females. Chicks are precocial and follow the male soon after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives low, mournful whistled notes that carry far through dense forest, often at dawn and dusk. Calls are simple but distinctive, with spaced, resonant whistles that can be mistaken for distant owl-like hoots.
Plumage
Overall warm brown to chestnut-brown with fine barring on the flanks and underparts; smooth, close-lying feathers suited to a terrestrial lifestyle.
Diet
Feeds on fallen fruits and seeds gleaned from the forest floor. Supplements its diet with insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates, especially during wetter periods. Occasionally consumes tender shoots and small plant matter. Swallows small pebbles to aid in grinding food in the gizzard.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense understory along trails, stream margins, and among leaf litter where fruits accumulate. Often feeds near fruiting trees and at forest edges with good cover, retreating quickly if disturbed.
