Introduction
The Grey-legged Tinamou (Crypturellus duidae) is a secretive, ground-dwelling member of the tinamou family, Tinamidae. It occurs in the north-western Amazon Basin, where it is associated particularly with humid forest and other habitats on nutrient-poor soils. Like many tinamous, it is more often detected by its distinctive whistle than seen in dense vegetation. (oiseaux.net)
Physical Description
The Grey-legged Tinamou is a compact bird measuring approximately 28–30.5 cm in length. It has a rounded body, short wings and grey to slate-coloured legs. The head, neck and breast are bright rufous, while the upperparts are brownish and cryptically marked, providing camouflage on the forest floor. (api.pageplace.de)
Males and females are broadly similar, although field-guide accounts report that females may have more distinctly barred upperparts. Reliable information on juvenile and immature plumages is limited. As with other forest tinamous, the species is a weak flyer but can make a sudden, powerful escape flight when flushed.
Range and Habitat
The Grey-legged Tinamou is a resident, non-migratory species of the north-western Amazon Basin. Its principal range extends through east-central Colombia and southern Venezuela, with additional records from northern Brazil and eastern Peru. The Peruvian records include peatland forest in the Putumayo River basin, extending the known habitat range of a species previously associated mainly with white-sand forest. (oiseaux.net)
It inhabits riverine, humid and wet lowland forest, as well as forest growing on sandy or otherwise nutrient-poor soils. White-sand forest is especially important because the species appears to be associated with isolated patches of poor-soil habitat. It has also been recorded in peatland forest. Most published field information places it at low elevations, generally below about 500 m, although the best-documented Venezuelan field-guide range is 0–200 m. (api.pageplace.de)
The species is not considered migratory. Its distribution is naturally localised and may be discontinuous because suitable poor-soil forests occur as a scattered mosaic within the wider Amazonian landscape.
Behaviour and Diet
The Grey-legged Tinamou is terrestrial and usually solitary or encountered singly. It moves quietly through dense undergrowth, where its subdued plumage makes it difficult to detect. It is most frequently located by its slow, two-part whistle, which lasts about two seconds. The two notes are somewhat slurred, with the second slightly higher and ending in a plaintive or querulous inflection. (api.pageplace.de)
The call is particularly useful at dawn and dusk, although tinamous may vocalise at other times in suitable weather. Calling is thought to be important in contact between individuals and in the spacing of territories, but detailed studies of this species’ social behaviour remain limited.
Its diet includes fallen fruit, seeds and other plant material, supplemented by insects and other small invertebrates. It forages on the ground and among low vegetation. The available evidence does not support detailed claims about the relative importance of particular food items or the species’ role in seed dispersal.
Breeding information for the Grey-legged Tinamou is poorly documented. Tinamous generally nest on the ground, and males commonly undertake incubation and early care of the young, but these patterns should not be assumed to be fully confirmed for C. duidae without species-specific evidence.
Identification Tips
- Look for a medium-sized, compact tinamou with bright rufous head, neck and breast, brown cryptic upperparts and grey legs.
- Listen for the distinctive slow, two-part whistle, especially in lowland forest at dawn or dusk.
- The species is usually much easier to detect by sound than by sight.
- Variegated Tinamou (Crypturellus variegatus) is a potentially confusing species where their ranges overlap. It is generally more boldly barred, with a mostly black crown and nape and darker grey sides to the head.
- Barred Tinamou (Crypturellus casiquiare) is smaller and more strongly barred, with more contrasting underparts. The Grey-legged Tinamou is larger and has rufous foreparts rather than the sharply contrasting pattern of Barred Tinamou. (api.pageplace.de)
Conservation Status
The Grey-legged Tinamou is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Its population size and precise population trend are not sufficiently documented for a reliable estimate, and the species remains poorly known in parts of its range. (datazone.birdlife.org)
Deforestation, agricultural conversion, forest degradation and the loss of specialised white-sand and peatland habitats are potential conservation concerns. These threats are especially relevant because suitable soils and associated forest communities are naturally patchy. Protecting remaining lowland forest, maintaining habitat connectivity and improving surveys using both field observations and bioacoustic monitoring are important conservation measures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Grey-legged Tinamou live?
It occurs in the north-western Amazon Basin, mainly in east-central Colombia and southern Venezuela, with records from northern Brazil and eastern Peru.
What habitat does the Grey-legged Tinamou prefer?
It favours humid and wet lowland forest, riverine forest and forests on sandy or other nutrient-poor soils. It has also been recorded in peatland forest.
How large is the Grey-legged Tinamou?
The species is approximately 28–30.5 cm long, with a compact body, short wings and grey legs.
What does the Grey-legged Tinamou sound like?
Its call is a slow, plaintive two-part whistle lasting about two seconds, with the second part slightly higher and ending with a querulous inflection.
What does the Grey-legged Tinamou eat?
Its recorded diet includes fallen fruit, seeds and other plant material, together with insects and other small invertebrates.
Is the Grey-legged Tinamou endangered?
It is currently classified as Least Concern. However, its localised distribution, dependence on specialised forest habitats and limited population data mean that continued habitat protection and monitoring are important.
References
- BirdLife International. n.d. “Grey-legged Tinamou Crypturellus duidae Species Factsheet.” BirdLife DataZone. Accessed 8 September 2026. https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/grey-legged-tinamou-crypturellus-duidae
- Gill, F., D. Donsker and P. Rasmussen, eds. 2026. IOC World Bird List, version 15.2. International Ornithologists’ Union. Accessed 8 September 2026. https://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- Hilty, S. L. 2003. Birds of Venezuela. 2nd ed. Princeton University Press. https://search.worldcat.org/title/51031554
- Vásquez-Arévalo, F. A., R. Zárate-Gómez, J. B. Socolar, J. Díaz-Alván and P. E. Pérez-Peña. 2020. “First record of the gray-legged tinamou, Crypturellus duidae, and other poor-soil specialist birds from peatlands in the Putumayo River basin, Loreto, Peru.” Acta Amazonica 50: 155–158. https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392201901531
- Zimmer, J. T. 1938. “A New Form of Crypturellus noctivagus.” Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 51: 47–51. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34563520
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