Red-winged tinamou facts for kids
The red-winged tinamou (Rhynchotus rufescens) is a medium-sized bird that lives on the ground in central and eastern South America. People also call it the perdiz grande, rufous tinamou, or ynambu.
Quick facts for kids Red-winged tinamou |
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| at Parque das Aves, Brazil | |
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Rhynchotus
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| Species: |
rufescens
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R. r. rufescens (Temminck, 1815) |
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Contents
What is a Red-winged Tinamou?
All tinamou birds belong to the family called Tinamidae. They are also part of a larger group known as ratites. You might know other ratites like ostriches or emus. Unlike most other ratites, tinamous can fly, but they are not very strong flyers. Scientists believe that all ratites came from ancient flying birds. Tinamous are the closest living relatives to these prehistoric birds.
A scientist named Coenraad Jacob Temminck first described the red-winged tinamou. He found a specimen from São Paulo state in Brazil in 1815.
Red-winged Tinamou Subspecies
The red-winged tinamou has three different types, called subspecies:
- R. r. rufescens: This type lives in southeastern Peru, Bolivia, eastern Paraguay, southeastern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and possibly Uruguay.
- R. r. catingae: You can find this type in central and northeastern Brazil.
- R. r. pallescens: This type lives in northern Argentina. This includes areas like eastern Formosa, Chaco, Santa Fé, Córdoba, La Pampa, Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Corrientes, and Rio Negro.
There used to be another type called maculicollis. People thought it was a subspecies of the red-winged tinamou. But now, experts agree it is its own separate species, called the huayco tinamou.
What Does a Red-winged Tinamou Look Like?
The red-winged tinamou is about 40 to 41 centimeters (16 to 16 inches) long. It weighs around 830 grams (29 ounces). Female tinamous might be a little bigger than males.
This bird has a black crown on its head. Its main wing feathers, called primaries, are a bright reddish-brown color. These colorful feathers are mostly seen when the bird flies. Its underside is light gray to brown. Some birds might have black stripes on their sides, belly, and vent area. The throat is whitish, and the front of the neck and chest are cinnamon-colored. Its curved beak is horn-colored with a blackish top edge. Young tinamous are usually duller in color.
Where Do Red-winged Tinamous Live?
You can find the red-winged tinamou in southeastern, northeastern, and central Brazil. They also live in eastern Paraguay, southeastern Peru, Bolivia, and eastern Argentina.
Red-winged Tinamou Habitat
At lower elevations (up to 1,000 meters or 3,300 feet), these birds like marshy grasslands that get flooded sometimes. They also live at the edges of forests. At higher elevations (up to 2,500 meters or 8,200 feet), they prefer dry shrubland, pastures, and grain fields. Overall, they like dry savanna areas the most.
Red-winged Tinamou Behavior
Male red-winged tinamous are quite vocal. They make a long, ringing whistle, followed by shorter, sad-sounding whistles. Female tinamous do not make these calls. These birds are most active during the hottest parts of the day.
What Do Red-winged Tinamous Eat?
Their diet changes depending on the season. In the summer, they eat insects and other small animals, sometimes even tiny mammals. In the winter, they switch to plant matter. This includes fruits, new shoots, tubers (underground stems), and bulbs.
Sometimes, they can be a problem for farmers because they eat crops like cereals, rice, and peanuts. They are also predators, meaning they hunt other animals. They can even catch poisonous snakes. They have been seen jumping into the air to snatch an insect off a leaf!
Red-winged Tinamou Reproduction and Life Cycle
The male red-winged tinamou tries to attract a female by follow feeding. This means he leads her to food. After she is attracted, he will move to the nest. The female lays her eggs in this nest. The male then incubates the eggs all by himself. After the chicks hatch, he is also the one who raises them.
Red-winged Tinamou Conservation
Like all tinamous, the red-winged tinamou is a popular bird for hunters. In areas where many people live, their numbers have gone down. However, in some places, their numbers have actually increased. This happens where forests have been cleared, creating more open habitats that the tinamous like.
Overall, the red-winged tinamou is not considered to be in danger. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists it as a species of Least Concern. This means it is not threatened. They live across a very large area, about 5,700,000 square kilometers (2,200,000 square miles).
