Undulated tinamou

Appearance

The undulated tinamou is about 28–30 cm in length, and weighs around 300 g. Depending on subspecies, it is overall brownish tinged grey to various extents, and has a strong, black, barred to faint vermiculated pattern on the back and neck. It has a whitish throat, and the remainders of its underparts are olive-grey to buff with dark vermiculation on its lower flanks and vent. Its bill is black above and grey below. The legs and feet are grey, dull yellow, or greenish.

Naming

Its generic name "Crypturellus" is formed from three Latin or Greek words - "kruptos" meaning "covered" or "hidden", "oura" meaning "tail", and "ellus" meaning "diminutive". Therefore, "Crypturellus" means small, hidden tail. The specific name "undulatus" originates from the Latin word "unda", meaning "wave", and means "furnished with wave-like markings".* "C. u. manapiare" is only known with certainty from the vicinity of the Ventuari River in northern Amazonas State in Venezuela, but probably also occurs in southwestern Amazonas State.
⤷  "C. u. simplex" occurs in southern Guyana, French Guiana, and northeastern Brazil.
⤷  "C. u. adspersus" occurs in Brazil south of the Amazon River, from the Tapajós River to the Madeira River.
⤷  "C. u. yapura" occurs in southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, northeastern and east-central Peru, and western Brazil.
⤷  "C. u. vermiculatus" occurs in eastern Brazil from Maranhão, Tocantins, and Mato Grosso and east.
⤷  "C. u. undulatus" occurs in southeastern Peru, eastern and northern Bolivia, the Pantanal region in Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.

The exact distribution limits of some of the subspecies, though, are unclear. Notably, the population between the Madeira and Purús Rivers and the population between the Tapajós and Araguaia Rivers appear not to have been assigned to subspecies.

Status

Though heavily hunted in some regions, the undulated tinamou remains common in most parts of its range. The IUCN classifies it as least concern, and its range of occurrence has been estimated to 8,600,000 km2.

Behavior

The nest of the undulated tinamou consists of a depression on the ground, where the female lays around three glossy vinaceous, pink or light-grey eggs. The incubation time is 17 days in captivity. It feeds on small fruits, seeds, and insects.

As other tinamous, the undulated tinamou is secretive, and more frequently heard than seen. The song, commonly given throughout the day, consists of a deep, three- or four-noted whistle, which has been described by the onomatopoetic "com-pra pan" or "Eu sou jaó".

Habitat

The undulated tinamou occurs at altitudes of up to 900 m. It occurs in a wide range of wooded habitats, ranging from dense, humid Amazonian forests, to dry, relatively open savanna-woodland. Although most of the range of the undulated tinamou is in the Amazon Basin, significant parts are in drier habitats such as the Cerrado. Though generally considered resident, minor seasonal movements between habitats do occur locally.