Tinamus guttatus
The White-throated Tinamou, Tinamus guttatus, is a medium-sized ground-dwelling bird, typically measuring 30-36 cm (12-14 inches) in length and weighing around 550-700 grams. Its plumage is a masterclass in camouflage, featuring brownish-rufous upperparts densely barred and spotted with black, providing excellent concealment on the forest floor. A distinctive, unmarked white throat sharply contrasts with the dark head and mottled greyish-brown breast, serving as its primary field mark. The fl...
This tinamou inhabits undisturbed lowland tropical and subtropical rainforests, favoring terra firme (non-flooded) and mature secondary growth forests, generally below 500 meters in elevation but occasionally up to 1300 meters.
Their diet consists mainly of fallen fruits, berries, and seeds, supplemented by small invertebrates such as ants, termites, and other insects, which they glean directly from the forest floor.
Primarily diurnal, the White-throated Tinamou is a shy and solitary bird, spending most of its time foraging stealthily on the forest floor, often detected only by the rustling of leaves. Males are polygynous, attracting multiple females to lay eggs in their nests. The nest itself is a simple scr...
The White-throated Tinamou is a resident species distributed across the vast Amazon basin of South America. Its primary range extends from eastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and northern Bolivia, through Amazonian Brazil. It also occurs in northern Venezuela and across the Guianas (...
Least Concern
- White-throated Tinamou eggs are famously beautiful, having a porcelain-like sheen and colors ranging from iridescent purplish-brown to deep magenta, making them highly prized by egg collectors. - Males alone incubate the eggs and raise the young, a unique characteristic among many bird species....