The Brazilian tinamou is a type of tinamou found in tropical moist lowland forest in regions of Amazonian South America.
Region
Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in tropical moist lowland forests, including terra firme and seasonally flooded várzea, with dense understory and abundant leaf litter. It favors mature forest but also uses tall secondary growth and forest edges when cover is sufficient. Birds keep close to the ground, moving along quiet trails and through thickets while foraging. They avoid open habitats and are rarely seen in heavily degraded areas. Local presence can be patchy where hunting pressure is high.
Altitude Range
0–700 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The Brazilian tinamou is a shy, ground-dwelling bird of Amazonian lowland forests that relies on excellent camouflage and stillness to avoid detection. Its call is a low, mournful whistle that carries far through the forest, especially at dawn and dusk. Like other tinamous, males incubate the eggs and care for the chicks, often for multiple females in a season. It is a reluctant flier, preferring to run swiftly through dense understory.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; explosive flush over short distances
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, sometimes small family groups. Nests are shallow ground scrapes hidden in dense cover. Males incubate clutches and lead precocial chicks after hatching, while females may mate again. Territorial calling is most frequent at crepuscular hours.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A low, resonant, melancholy whistle delivered in spaced notes, often repeating for several minutes. Calls carry far through the forest and are most common at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Cryptic brown to rufous-brown upperparts with fine black vermiculations and barring, blending into paler, lightly barred underparts. Throat is paler, often buffy, with subtly streaked sides and flanks. Feathers are soft and matte, enhancing camouflage in dappled forest light.
Diet
Forages for fallen fruits and seeds, supplementing with insects such as beetles and ants, small snails, and other invertebrates. It picks items from the leaf litter while walking methodically. Diet varies seasonally with fruit availability, and birds may swallow small grit to aid digestion. Opportunistic feeding under fruiting trees is common.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on the forest floor in dense understory, along quiet paths, treefall gaps with cover, and beneath fruiting trees. Avoids open ground, staying close to tangles and shrubs for quick concealment.
