Black tinamou

Overview

Wikipedia

The black tinamou is a species of ground bird found in humid foothill and montane forest in the Andes of South America.

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Distribution

Region

Andes Mountains

Typical Environment

Occurs on the eastern Andean slopes of southeastern Peru and adjacent northern Bolivia. It inhabits humid foothill and montane evergreen forests with dense understory, including bamboo (Chusquea) thickets and Heliconia stands. Birds stay close to the forest floor along ridges, ravines, and near streams where cover is thick. It avoids heavily disturbed or fragmented forest and is seldom recorded near human activity.

Altitude Range

700–1700 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size40–46 cm

Wing Span55–65 cm

Male Weight1 kg

Female Weight1.1 kg

Life Expectancy10 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

The Black Tinamou is an elusive ground-dwelling bird of humid Andean foothill and montane forests in Peru and Bolivia. Like other tinamous, males incubate the eggs and raise the chicks, often from eggs laid by multiple females. Its low, mournful whistles carry far through the forest, especially at dawn and dusk. It rarely flies, preferring to slip away on strong legs through dense understory.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

shy and secretive

Flight Pattern

reluctant flier with explosive, short whirring wingbeats

Social Behavior

Typically solitary or in pairs, keeping to dense cover. Nests on the ground in concealed sites. Males perform all incubation and chick-rearing, often for a clutch composed of eggs from multiple females. Territorial calling is most frequent in low-light periods.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A series of low, mournful, far-carrying whistles given at long intervals. Calls are most common at dawn and dusk and can travel through dense forest, aiding contact between widely spaced birds.

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Identification

Leg Colordark grey

Eye Colordark brown

Plumage

Mostly uniform sooty-black to dark slate, with a slightly glossy sheen and very subtle scalloping on the flanks.

Feeding Habits

Diet

Feeds primarily on fallen fruits and seeds, supplemented by insects, small invertebrates, and tender plant matter. It forages by walking slowly and picking items from the leaf litter. Seasonal availability of fruit influences diet composition. Occasional gleaning of soft invertebrates occurs after rains.

Preferred Environment

Forages on the forest floor in dense understory, along stream edges, bamboo thickets, and near fruiting trees. It avoids open areas, relying on cover to remain concealed.

Population

Total Known Populationunknown

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