''Crypturellus'' is a genus of

tinamou Tinamous () form an order of birds called Tinamiformes (), comprising a single family called Tinamidae (), divided into two distinct subfamilies, containing 46 species found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. The word "tinamou" comes ...

s containing mostly

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

species. However, there are the odd few that are grassland or steppe tinamous. The genus contains 21 species.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Crypturellus'' was introduced in 1914 by the British ornithologists Baron Brabourne and Charles Chubb with the

Tataupa tinamou The Tataupa tinamou (''Crypturellus tataupa'') is a type of tinamou commonly found in dry forest in subtropical and tropical regions in southeastern South America.Clements, J (2007) Naming * ''Crypturellus'' is formed from three Latin or G ...

as the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen( ...

. The genus name combines the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

κρυπτός (''kruptós'') meaning "hidden" with οὐρά (''oura'') meaning "tail". The ''-ellus'' is a diminutive so that the name means "small hidden tail".

Description

''Crypturellus'' members, like other tinamous, have a cryptic color scheme dominated by browns, buffs, yellows, and greys. Unlike the rest of the family, these birds show some sexual dimorphism: the females are more heavily barred than the males and are also a bit brighter and larger.

Range

The majority of species occupy forests or rain forests, preferring lower elevations. They range from

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. However, the earliest known occurrence of the genus is a fossil

humerus The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a roun ...

, described as ''

Crypturellus reai ''Crypturellus reai'' is a species of Miocene fossil bird in the tinamou family. It was described in 2012 from material originally excavated by American palaeontologist Barnum Brown in 1899 in Patagonia. The specific epithet honours Amadeo M. Rea ...

'', from the

Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 Ma to 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). It was p ...

Santa Cruz Formation of

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and ...

Vocalization

''Crypturellus'' are a very loud group of birds with melodious calls. They tend to use lower frequency when they call than other members of the Tinamou. Males and females have different calls and each species also has different calls. Normally each sex will have a long and a short phrase call. The genus can be grouped into two partial groups based on the similarity of their calls. * Group 1 **

Undulated tinamou The undulated tinamou (''Crypturellus undulatus'') is a species of ground bird found in a wide range of wooded habitats in eastern and northern South America. Etymology Its generic name ''Crypturellus'' is formed from three Latin or Greek wo ...

Red-legged tinamou The red-legged tinamou or red-footed tinamou, (''Crypturellus erythropus'') is a ground-dwelling bird found in the tropics and lower subtropics of northern South America.Clements, J (2007) Description The red-legged tinamou is superficially si ...

Yellow-legged tinamou The yellow-legged tinamou (''Crypturellus noctivagus'') is a species of tinamou found in wooded and shrubby habitats in tropical and subtropical eastern Brazil.Clements, J (2007) This superficially quail-like bird has a grey-brown plumage an ...

* Group 2 **

Brown tinamou The brown tinamou (''Crypturellus obsoletus'') is a brownish ground bird found in humid lowland and montane forest in tropical and subtropical South America.BirdLife International (2008) Taxonomy All tinamous are usually treated in a single fa ...

Small-billed tinamou The small-billed tinamou (''Crypturellus parvirostris'') is a type of Tinamou commonly found in dry savanna in Amazonian South America.Clements, J (2007) Description The small-billed tinamou is approximately in length. Its upperparts are d ...

Some, like the slaty-breasted tinamou are quiet and hide during the middle of the day, choosing this time to take naps and conserve energy. The slaty-breasted tinamous also have a unique call amongst themselves, so much so that individual birds can be recognized by their calls. Most members of the genus have a variation in their calls, within the species, based on their geographical location. They also are known to use regular calling sites.

Feeding

Similar to other forest tinamou, the members of this genus prefer to eat fleshy fruit; however like tinamous in general they are opportunistic and will eat a variety of foods including insects, which they have been known to leap high to obtain

Breeding

Courtship technique for the members of ''Crypturellus'' consists of the male lowering his breast to the ground, stretching his neck forward and raising his posterior vertically. This will cause the male to appear larger and longer than normal, which not only impresses the female but also benefits the male in that it scares away competitors. Females outnumber the males with some of the species, such as the

variegated tinamou The variegated tinamou (''Crypturellus variegatus'') a type of tinamou commonly found in moist forest lowlands in subtropical and tropical regions of northern South America. Taxonomy The variegated tinamou was formally described in 1789 by the G ...

, having a 4:1 female-to-male ratio. They also only have a 2-egg clutch, which would explain why they are one of the species that have multiple clutches. Once copulation has taken place, the female will choose a nest site that is typically a depression covered with leaves next to a tree trunk, usually between a couple of buttresses. Members of the genus that are savanna style birds such as the

small-billed tinamou The small-billed tinamou (''Crypturellus parvirostris'') is a type of Tinamou commonly found in dry savanna in Amazonian South America.Clements, J (2007) Description The small-billed tinamou is approximately in length. Its upperparts are d ...

will instead lay their eggs in a cavity near a clump of grass. The eggs are oval or elliptical on the smaller birds and near spherical in the larger birds, such as the

undulated tinamou The undulated tinamou (''Crypturellus undulatus'') is a species of ground bird found in a wide range of wooded habitats in eastern and northern South America. Etymology Its generic name ''Crypturellus'' is formed from three Latin or Greek wo ...

and the Brazilian tinamou. The colorings of the eggs are varied, but in general are brightly colored with no splotches or spots; the colors fade over time and usually will change to a less overt color midway through the incubation period. The predominant colors are chocolate or red wine with the eggs of

yellow-legged tinamou The yellow-legged tinamou (''Crypturellus noctivagus'') is a species of tinamou found in wooded and shrubby habitats in tropical and subtropical eastern Brazil.Clements, J (2007) This superficially quail-like bird has a grey-brown plumage an ...

, undulated tinamou, little tinamou, and

red-legged tinamou The red-legged tinamou or red-footed tinamou, (''Crypturellus erythropus'') is a ground-dwelling bird found in the tropics and lower subtropics of northern South America.Clements, J (2007) Description The red-legged tinamou is superficially si ...

using different color schemes. Clutch size can be upwards of 9-16 eggs, however these larger clutches are the products of multiple females. The male will incubate and care for the young. Incubation takes about 16 days. If he dies, the female will take over. When the chicks cross cleared areas, they will run like the chicks of rails. Some members of the genus mature rapidly, like the slaty-breasted tinamou which can gain adult size (not weight) by 20 days.

Relationships

Here is a cladogram of the relationship of species within ''Crypturellus'', from an integumentary phylogenetic study on the Tinamidae, 2013. ''

Crypturellus parvirostris The small-billed tinamou (''Crypturellus parvirostris'') is a type of Tinamou commonly found in dry savanna in Amazonian South America.Clements, J (2007) Description The small-billed tinamou is approximately in length. Its upperparts are dark ...

'' and '' Crypturellus tataupa'' are also the most derived species on a tree of the entire

Paleognathae Palaeognathae (; ) is a infraclass of birds, called paleognaths, within the class Aves of the clade Archosauria. It is one of the two extant infraclasses of birds, the other being Neognathae, both of which form Neornithes. Palaeognathae cont ...

Species

The genus contains 21 species:Clements, J (2007) * Berlepsch's tinamou (''Crypturellus berlepschi'') – coastal forests of northwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador * Little tinamou (''Crypturellus soui'') – southern Mexico to northeastern Brazil west to Ecuador and east to French Guiana and also Trinidad *

Cinereous tinamou The cinereous tinamou (''Crypturellus cinereus''), also known as brushland tinamou, is a type of ground bird found in swamp and lowland forests in northern South America. They have some localized names that have been used by the indigenous people ...

(''Crypturellus cinereus'') – southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, northeastern Brazil, and northern Bolivia * Tepui tinamou (''Crypturellus ptaritepui'') – the

tepuis A tepui , or tepuy (), is a table-top mountain or mesa found in South America, especially in Venezuela and western Guyana. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the G ...

of southern Venezuela *

(''Crypturellus obsoletus'') – northern Venezuela west through Ecuador, Peru, northern and southern Brazil, extreme northeastern Argentina, eastern Bolivia, and Paraguay *

(''Crypturellus undulatus'') – northern and central

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

except Suriname and French Guiana *

Pale-browed tinamou The pale-browed tinamou (''Crypturellus transfasciatus'') is a type of tinamou found in tropical dry forests in Peru and Ecuador.Clements, J (2007) Etymology ''Crypturellus'' is formed from three Latin or Greek words. ''Kruptos'' meaning covered ...

(''Crypturellus transfasciatus'') – coastal forests of Ecuador and extreme northwestern Peru * Brazilian tinamou (''Crypturellus strigulosus'') – central Brazil south of the Amazon River, northwestern Bolivia, and eastern Peru * Grey-legged tinamou (''Crypturellus duidae'') – the tropical forests of east central Colombia and southern Venezuela *

(''Crypturellus erythropus'') – from northern Colombia east to French Guiana and south to northern Brazil and also

Margarita Island Margarita Island (, ) is the largest island in the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, situated off the northeastern coast of the country, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Nueva Esparta, La Asunción, is located on the island. Histor ...

(''Crypturellus noctivagus'') – the lowlands of eastern Brazil *

Black-capped tinamou The black-capped tinamou (''Crypturellus atrocapillus'') is a type of tinamou commonly found in the moist forest lowlands in subtropical and tropical regions. Taxonomy All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also ...

(''Crypturellus atrocapillus'') – the lowlands of southeastern Peru and northern Bolivia * Thicket tinamou (''Crypturellus cinnamomeus'') – from northwestern Costa Rica north to Puebla, Mexico, and all of the Atlantic coastal Mexico and Pacific coastal Mexico excluding Sonora, Mexico * Slaty-breasted tinamou or Boucard's tinamou (''Crypturellus boucardi'') – the gulf coastal region of

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

from southeastern Mexico to northeastern Honduras and southeastern Honduras to northern Costa Rica * Choco tinamou (''Crypturellus kerriae'') – humid foothills of southeastern Panama to northwestern Colombia *

Variegated tinamou The variegated tinamou (''Crypturellus variegatus'') a type of tinamou commonly found in moist forest lowlands in subtropical and tropical regions of northern South America. Taxonomy The variegated tinamou was formally described in 1789 by the G ...

(''Crypturellus variegatus'') – northern Bolivia, Amazonian Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and Colombia *

Rusty tinamou The rusty tinamou or short-billed tinamou (''Crypturellus brevirostris'') is a type of tinamou commonly found in swamp forest in tropical regions of South America.Clements, J (2007) Taxonomy The rusty tinamou is a monotypic species. All tinam ...

or short-billed tinamou (''Crypturellus brevirostris'') – French Guiana, eastern Peru, and northwestern and northeastern Brazil *

Bartlett's tinamou Bartlett's tinamou (''Crypturellus bartletti'') is a type of tinamou found in lowland forest in South America.Clements, J (2007) Taxonomy The Bartlett's tinamou is a monotypic species. All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larg ...

(''Crypturellus bartletti'') – western Amazonian Brazil, northern Bolivia, and eastern Peru *

(''Crypturellus parvirostris'') – from the

Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Boli ...

in Brazil to northeastern Argentina *

Barred tinamou The barred tinamou (''Crypturellus casiquiare'') is a type of tinamou commonly found in lowland moist forest in subtropical and tropical regions of northern South America. Taxonomy This is a monotypic species. All tinamou are from the family Ti ...

(''Crypturellus casiquiare'') – eastern Colombia and southern Venezuela *

(''Crypturellus tataupa'') – parts of Peru, northeastern Brazil, Paraguay, southern Brazil, eastern Bolivia, and northern Argentina There is also an extinct species: *†''

'' Chandler 2012 – dating from the Early-Middle Miocene (

Santacrucian The Santacrucian age is a period of geologic time (17.5 – 16.3 Ma) within the Early Miocene epoch of the Neogene, used more specifically with SALMA classification in South America. It follows the Colhuehuapian and precedes the Friasian age. ...

; 16.3–17.5 million years ago)

References

Sources

* * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q625342 Tinamous Bird genera