Red-legged Tinamou (Crypturellus erythropus)

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Image of a Red-legged Tinamou in its natural habitat
Birds Tinamou

Introduction

The Red-legged Tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus, is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling bird of northern South America. It belongs to the Tinamidae, an ancient palaeognath bird family that includes the tinamous. The species is elusive and is more often detected by its mournful whistled call than seen in dense vegetation. Its most distinctive feature is its pinkish-red to red legs and feet.

Physical Description

The Red-legged Tinamou measures approximately 27–32 cm in length. It has a compact, robust body, a short tail and rounded wings typical of forest-floor tinamous.

Adults have brown to olive-brown upperparts, a greyish breast and buff, ochraceous or cinnamon underparts. The back and wings may show blackish or buff barring, although this pattern is often faint in males. The throat is usually whitish, while the crown and upperparts can vary considerably between geographic forms. The bill is dark above and paler below, and the legs and feet range from pink or orange to bright red.

Females are generally more strongly barred and often more richly reddish than males. Plumage varies geographically, and some traditionally named forms have been treated either as subspecies of the Red-legged Tinamou or as separate species. Detailed age-related plumage differences are not well documented in the sources consulted.

Range and Habitat

The Red-legged Tinamou occurs in northern South America. Its range includes Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and northern Brazil, with an additional population on Margarita Island. It is not a Central American species.

The species uses dry forest, woodland, scrub, forest edges, savanna with suitable cover and, locally, humid forest. It is generally associated with lowland and lower-elevation habitats, although it has been recorded at elevations approaching or exceeding 1,300 m in some parts of its range. It is considered resident rather than migratory, and no regular long-distance migration is known.

Geographic variation is pronounced. Forms from Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil and nearby islands differ in the strength of barring, the colour of the underparts and the pattern of the wings and rump. The taxonomic treatment of some populations, including those historically called the Colombian, Santa Marta and Magdalena tinamous, remains a matter of discussion, although major global checklists generally include them within Crypturellus erythropus.

Behaviour and Diet

The Red-legged Tinamou spends most of its time walking through leaf litter, low vegetation and scrub. It is secretive and usually detected by sound. When disturbed, it is more likely to run rapidly through cover than to fly, although it can make a short, powerful flight when closely pressed.

Its diet includes seeds, berries and other fruits, as well as invertebrates such as insects and snails. It forages on the ground and may contribute to local seed movement through the consumption and later deposition of fruits, although the species-specific importance of this role has not been quantified.

Little detailed information is available on its social organisation or breeding biology. Tinamous commonly nest on the ground, and Red-legged Tinamou nests are reported as simple depressions concealed beneath grass, shrubs or other vegetation. The eggs are glossy and may be pale greyish-lavender, pinkish or greyish with variable suffusion and markings. As in many tinamous, the male is generally considered to undertake incubation, but the precise breeding system, clutch size and parental care of this species are incompletely documented. Chicks are precocial, leaving the nest soon after hatching and remaining dependent on an adult while they develop their foraging skills.

Identification Tips

  • Look for a compact, brown ground bird with a greyish breast, buff or cinnamon belly and conspicuously red or pinkish-red legs.
  • The species is more likely to be heard than seen. Its low, mournful whistle can reveal its presence in thick vegetation.
  • Females usually show stronger barring on the upperparts and are often more reddish than males.
  • The Red-legged Tinamou is the only tinamou across much of its range with such clearly reddish legs, making leg colour a useful field mark when the bird is visible.
  • Do not rely on leg colour alone. Plumage varies geographically, and closely related populations may show different amounts of barring and different tones on the breast and belly.
  • Ground-dwelling birds such as quails may appear superficially similar, but quails are not close relatives of tinamous. The Red-legged Tinamou is best identified by its combination of body shape, habitat, voice, plumage pattern and red legs.

Conservation Status

The Red-legged Tinamou is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This global category reflects the status of the species as currently treated taxonomically and does not mean that every population is secure.

Habitat loss from deforestation, agricultural expansion, cattle ranching and other land-use changes can reduce suitable cover. Hunting may also affect local populations, particularly where tinamous are taken for food. Some geographically restricted populations that have previously been treated as separate species or subspecies are of greater conservation concern because of habitat loss and limited recent information.

Important conservation measures include protecting remaining dry and humid forest, maintaining connected areas of natural vegetation, managing hunting sustainably and improving surveys of poorly known populations. Further fieldwork is also needed to clarify the status of geographically distinctive forms and to establish reliable population trends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the Red-legged Tinamou live?

It occurs in northern South America, including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and northern Brazil. It also occurs on Margarita Island.

Is the Red-legged Tinamou found in Central America?

No. Despite some older or loosely worded descriptions, the recognised range of Crypturellus erythropus is in northern South America rather than Central America.

What does the Red-legged Tinamou eat?

It eats a varied diet of seeds, berries and other fruits, together with insects, snails and other small invertebrates.

Why is it difficult to see?

The species spends much of its time on the forest floor and is well camouflaged by its brown plumage. It often remains hidden in leaf litter and dense vegetation, so its whistle is usually noticed before the bird itself.

Does the Red-legged Tinamou migrate?

No regular long-distance migration is known. It is generally regarded as a resident species that remains within suitable habitat throughout the year.

What is the conservation status of the Red-legged Tinamou?

The species is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Local populations may nevertheless be affected by habitat destruction and hunting, particularly where the species has a restricted distribution.

References

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