''Tinamus'' is a genus of birds in the

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" come ...

family Tinamidae . This genus comprises some of the larger members of this

South American 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 southe ...

family.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Tinamus'' was introduced in 1783 by the French naturalist

Johann Hermann Johann, or Jean-Frederic, Hermann, or Herrmann, (31 December 1738 in Barr, Alsace – 4 October 1800 in Strasbourg) was a French physician and naturalist. In 1769 he was appointed professor of medicine at the School of Public Health of Strasbou ...

. 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 ...

was subsequently designated as the

great tinamou The great tinamou (''Tinamus major'') is a species of tinamou ground bird native to Central and South America. There are several subspecies, mostly differentiated by their coloration. Taxonomy The great tinamou was described and illustrated in 1 ...

. Hermann based his name on "Les Tinamous" used by

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (; 7 September 1707 – 16 April 1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist, and encyclopédiste. His works influenced the next two generations of naturalists, including two prominent Fr ...

in his ''Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux''. The word "Tinamú" in the

Carib language Carib or Kari'nja is a Cariban language spoken by the Kalina people (Caribs) of South America. It is spoken by around 7,400 mostly in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil. The language is currently classified as highly endange ...

of French Guiana was used for the tinamous. The genus contains five species: *

White-throated tinamou The white-throated tinamou (''Tinamus guttatus'') is a species of bird native to the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, northern Bolivia, southeastern Colombia, northeastern Ecuador, eastern Peru and southern Venezuela. Etymology The scientific nam ...

(''Tinamus guttatus'') – southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, Amazonian Brazil, and northern Bolivia *

Grey tinamou The grey tinamou (''Tinamus tao'') is a type of ground bird native to South America. Four subspecies are recognised. Taxonomy All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also ratites. All ratites evolved from prehis ...

(''Tinamus tao'') – northern and western Brazil, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, northern Bolivia, Colombia east of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

, northwestern and northeastern Venezuela, and northwestern Guyana *

Solitary tinamou The solitary tinamou (''Tinamus solitarius'') is a species of paleognath ground bird. This species is native to Atlantic forest of eastern Brazil. Taxonomy All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also ratites. ...

(''Tinamus solitarius'') – northeastern Argentina (

Misiones Misiones (, ''Missions'') is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by Paraguay to the northwest, Brazil to the north, east and south, and Corrientes P ...

), eastern Paraguay, eastern Brazil *

Black tinamou The black tinamou (''Tinamus osgoodi'') is a species of ground bird found in humid foothill and montane forest in the Andes of South America. Taxonomy All tinamous are from the family Tinamidae and members of the infraclass Palaeognathae. Ti ...

(''Tinamus osgoodi'') – in two small areas: the Andes of southeastern Peru and the Andes of Colombia *

Great tinamou The great tinamou (''Tinamus major'') is a species of tinamou ground bird native to Central and South America. There are several subspecies, mostly differentiated by their coloration. Taxonomy The great tinamou was described and illustrated in 1 ...

(''Tinamus major'') – from southeastern Mexico through Panama, excluding Honduras and from Ecuador to French Guiana, parts of Brazil and northern Bolivia

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q368369 Bird genera