Tepui tinamou facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tepui tinamou |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Tinamiformes |
| Family: | Tinamidae |
| Genus: | Crypturellus |
| Species: |
C. ptaritepui
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| Binomial name | |
| Crypturellus ptaritepui (Zimmer & Phelps, 1945)
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The tepui tinamou (Crypturellus ptaritepui) is a special type of bird that lives on the ground. You can find it in wet forests on top of flat-topped mountains called tepuis. These mountains are in southeastern Venezuela.
Contents
What is a Tepui Tinamou?
The tepui tinamou belongs to a bird family called Tinamidae. All tinamous are part of a bigger group of birds known as ratites. Other ratites include ostriches and emus, which are famous for not being able to fly.
But here's a cool fact: tinamous are different! They can fly, even though they aren't super strong fliers. Scientists believe tinamous are the closest living relatives to ancient flying birds that all ratites evolved from. This means they give us clues about how these birds changed over time.
What Does Its Name Mean?
The scientific name for the tepui tinamou is Crypturellus ptaritepui. The first part, Crypturellus, comes from two Greek words. Kruptos means 'covered' or 'hidden', and oura means 'tail'. The Latin ending -ellus means 'little'. So, Crypturellus means 'little hidden tail'. This name probably describes how their short tails are often hidden by their feathers.
How to Spot a Tepui Tinamou
The tepui tinamou is about 27 cm (11 in) long, which is roughly the size of a ruler. Its head and the back of its neck are a reddish-brown color. Its back is darker, and its belly is a dusky gray. The upper part of its chest has a reddish shine.
The sides of its head and its throat are gray. Its upper beak is black, while the lower part is yellow with a black tip. Its legs are olive green.
Tepui Tinamou Behavior and Life Cycle
Like other tinamous, the tepui tinamou mostly eats fruit that has fallen to the ground or grows on low bushes. They also enjoy small amounts of invertebrates (like insects), flower buds, soft leaves, seeds, and roots.
When it comes to raising a family, the male tepui tinamou does most of the work! He incubates the eggs, which can come from as many as four different females. After the chicks hatch, he raises them until they are ready to live on their own. This usually takes about two to three weeks. Their nests are built on the ground, often hidden in thick bushes or between the raised roots of trees.
Where Do Tepui Tinamous Live?
The tepui tinamou has been found on several tepui mountains in southeastern Bolívar, Venezuela. These include Ptari-tepuí, Auyán-tepuí, Chimantá-tepuí, and Sororopán-tepuí.
They live at elevations between 1,350 to 1,800 m (4,430–5,910 ft) high. Their favorite places to live are tropical wet montane forests or tropical wet shrublands. These areas have lots of plants and moisture, which is perfect for them.
Protecting the Tepui Tinamou
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) classifies the tepui tinamou as a species of Least Concern. This means that, for now, their population is stable and not at high risk of disappearing.
Their habitat covers about 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi). It is also a protected species in Venezuela, which helps ensure its safety for the future.
See also
In Spanish: Tinamú tepuy para niños
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