Grey Tinamou

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Grey Tinamou
File:Tao001.jpg
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Tinamiformes
Family:	Tinamidae
Subfamily:	Tinaminae
Genus:	Tinamus
Species:	T. tao
Binomial name
Tinamus tao Temminck, 1815
Sub-species
T. t. larensis (Phelps & Phelps, 1949) T. t. tao (Temminck, 1815) T. t. kleei (Tschudi, 1843) T. t. septentrionalis (Brabourne & Chubb, 1913)

The Grey Tinamou (Tinamus tao) is a type of ground bird found throughout western and northern Brazil, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, Colombia east of the Andes, northern Venezuela, northern Bolivia, and Guyana.

Taxonomy

All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also Ratites. All ratites evolved from prehistoric flying birds, and Tinamous are the closest living relative of these birds.

The Grey Tinamou has several subspecies:

• T. t. larensis with a range in the montane forests of central Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
• T. t. kleei with a range of south-central Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, eastern Bolivia, and western Brazil.
• T. t. septentrionalis with a range of northeastern Venezuela and possible northwestern Guyana.
• T. t. tao with a range of north central Brazil, far eastern Peru, and far northwestern Bolivia.

Range

In most of its range it is essentially restricted to humid lowland forests, but in the northern and far western parts of its range it mainly occurs in montane forests. This Tinamou has shown the ability to utilize forests that have been cleared by logging. As most other tinamous, its song is commonly heard, but it is shy and only infrequently seen.

Description

With a total length of 46 cm (18 in), it is among the largest tinamous. As suggested by its name, it is mostly grey. The back and head are barred blackish, and its vent is cinnamon. White spotting extends along the head and down the neck.

Behavior

Like other Tinamous, the male incubates the eggs on the nest that is located in heavy brush on the ground. After incubation, the male will also raise them for the short period of time until they are ready. They eat fruit and seeds from the ground and bushes that are low to the ground.

Conservation

This species has not shown population loss and is considered by the IUCN to be a Least Concern status, and has a range occurrence of 3,600,000 km² (1,390,000 sq mi)

References

• IUCN (2004). Tinamus tao. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 07 Jan 2009.
• Brands, Sheila (Aug 14 2008). "Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification, Tinamus tao". Project: The Taxonomicon. Retrieved Feb 04 2009. 
• Clements, James (2007). The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World (6 ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978 0 8014 4501 9. 
• Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003). "Tinamous". In Hutchins, Michael. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins (2 ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 57–59. ISBN 0 7876 5784 0. 

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet
• IUCN Red List

Family Tinamidae v • t • e
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Projects
This article is part of Project Aves, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each bird, including made-up species. This article is part of Project Tinamiformes/idae, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each tinamous, including made-up species.