The Tinamiformes nearest relatives are the Struthioniformes (cassowary, emu, kiwi. ostrich, rhea). They are probably close in appearance to the flying ancestors of these flightless birds. The Tinamiformes do have a keeled sternum and as a result can fly, but rather poorly. Tinamous are slender and compact birds with a small head and a short, slender bill that is downward curving. The tinamous eat fruit of the ground and low-lying bushes. They resemble quail and grouse, but this is only due to convergent evolution.
There are found in the New World, mainly in South America.
Genus Crypturellus
The male tinamou is caregiver for the young.
Tinamou,_Barred Crypturellus casiquiare Found: easternmost Columbia, extreme southern Venezuela
The Barred Tinamou has buff upperparts with dark bars; white throat. belly; pale gray breast; some black barring on flanks; chestnut head, neck; olive-green legs.
Image by: 1 Loropk 2) Alfredo_Begazo
Tinamou,_Bartlett's Crypturellus bartletti Found: mainly Peru; also Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador
The Bartlett's Tinamou has brown upperparts with black bars; whitish throat, belly; remainder underparts rufous; flanks barred black;gray crown.
Similar to: Rusty Tinamou. Bartlett's Tinamou has been consider subspecies of Rusty Tinamou. Rusty Tinamou has more rufous on underparts than Bartlett's Tinamou.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Alex_KirschelSimilar to: Rusty Tinamou. Bartlett's Tinamou has been consider subspecies of Rusty Tinamou. Rusty Tinamou has more rufous on underparts than Bartlett's Tinamou.
Tinamou,_Berlepsch's Crypturellus berlepschi Found: Columbia, Ecuador
Image by: 1) speednat 2) John_Gerrard_Keulemans
Tinamou,_Black-capped Crypturellus atrocapillus Found: Peru, Bolivia
The Black-capped Tinamou has brown upperparts; rufous throat, neck; cinnamon to buff underparts.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Peter_Colasanti.
Tinamou,_Brazilian Crypturellus strigulosus Found: mainly Brazil; also northwest Bolivia, eastern Peru
The Brazilian Tinamou has reddish-brown upperparts; rufous throat; gray breast; whitish belly; brown legs.
Image by: 1) Mitternacht90
Tinamou,_Brown Crypturellus obsoletus Found: South America
The Brown Tinamou has chocolate brown upperparts; paler reddish-brown underparts.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Bradley_Hacker 2) Carlos_Henrique - Brazil
Tinamou,_Choco Crypturellus kerriae Found: Columbia, Panama
The Choco Tinamou has dark brown upperparts; blackish crown; slate-gray sides of neck; whitish throat; red legs.
Image by: 1) Brooke_Keeney
Tinamou,_Cinereous Crypturellus cinereus Found: swamp and lowland forests in northern South America
The Cinereous Tinamou has dark brown to brownish-black upperparts; paler underparts; slightly; reddish-brown crown, nape; dull yellowish legs.
Image by: 1) speednat 2) Claudio Timm - Peru
Tinamou,_Gray-legged Crypturellus duidae Found: , se Colombia, ne Peru, southwest Venezuela
The Gray-legged Tinamou has dark brown upperparts; rufous underparts; gray tinge on breast; grayish legs.
Image by: 1) José Alvarez Alonso
Tinamou,_Little Crypturellus soui Found: Central and South America
Image by: 1) Marcos_Massarioli 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Aaron_Maizlish
Tinamou,_Pale-browed Crypturellus transfasciatus Found: Peru, Ecuador
The Pale-browed Tinamou has grayish-brown upperparts; brown crown; pale supercilium; white throat; grayish to buff underparts with barred flanks; pink legs
Image by: 1) Joseph_Smit 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador 3) Nick Athanas
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Tinamou,_Red-legged Crypturellus erythropus Found: northern South America
The Red-legged Tinamou has brownish upperparts; gray breast; buff belly. It is only tinamou with rosy-red legs.
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans
Tinamou,_Rusty Crypturellus brevirostris Found: northwest Brazil
The Rusty Tinamou has mainly rufous plumage; black barred upperparts, flanks; white throat; chestnut crown; yellowish-gray plumage.
Similar to: Bartlett's Tinamou. Bartlett's Tinamou has been consider subspecies of Rusty Tinamou. Rusty Tinamou has more rufous on underparts than Bartlett's Tinamou.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Vincent_RufraySimilar to: Bartlett's Tinamou. Bartlett's Tinamou has been consider subspecies of Rusty Tinamou. Rusty Tinamou has more rufous on underparts than Bartlett's Tinamou.
Tinamou,_Slaty-breasted Crypturellus boucardi Found: Mexico, Central America
The Slaty-breasted Tinamou has black to chestnut upperparts; brown wings; slaty-gray breast; whitish throat; darker barring on flanks.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Basilio_Mes 
Tinamou,_Small-billed Crypturellus parvirostris Found: Mainly Brazil, Paraguay; also Argentina, Bolivia, Peru
The Small -billed Tinamou has brown upperparts; gray to brownish underparts black-and-white scaly rump; red bill, legs.
Image by: 1) Dario_Sanches 2) Claudio_Timm
Tinamou,_Tataupa Crypturellus tataupa Found: mainly Brazil; also n. Argentina; e. Bolivia; s. Ecuador, Peru
The Tataupa Tinamou dark brown upperparts,; gray head with brown crown; pale gray throat; gray breast; buff belly; purplish red bill, legs.
Image by: 1) Dario_Sanches - Brazil 2) Hector_Bottai - Brazil
Tinamou,_Tepui Crypturellus ptaritepui Found: southeastern Venezuela
Image by: 1) Alfred_Raab
Tinamou,_Thicket Crypturellus cinnamomeus Found: central Mexico
The Thicket Tinamou has brown upperparts; heavy black barring on lower back, rump, wings; paler brown underparts; cinnamon on breast; grayer on belly; brown head.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Russ_Morgan
Tinamou,_Undulated Crypturellus undulatus Found: eastern and northern South America
Image by: 1) Blake_Matheson 2) Arthur_Chapman - Brazil
Tinamou,_Variegated Crypturellus variegatus Found: northern South America
The Variegated Tinamou has rufous upperback; lower back and wings black with yellow bands; white throat; bright rufous neck, upper-breast;
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Gustavo_Magnago, Joao_Quental 3) Marcos_Massarioli 
1) Female 2) Male
Tinamou,_Yellow-legged Crypturellus noctivagus Found: eastern Brazil
The Yellow-legged Tinamou has gray upperparts; black barred wings, lower back; grayish neck, upper-breast; rufous lower-breast; whitish belly; dark cap; buffy supercilium; yellow legs.
Image by: 1) Hector_Bottai 2) Claudio_Timm
Genus Eudromia
Tinamou,_Elegant Crested Eudromia elegans Found: Argentina, Chile
The Elegant-crested Tinamou has dark plumage with white barring; two white stripes on each side of face; long crest.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 4) Nick Athanas - Argentina 5, 6) Dick - Bronx Zoo
Tinamou,_Quebrancho_Crested Eudromia formosa Found: mainly Argentina; also Bolivia, Paraguay
The Quebrancho Crested Tinamou has grayish-brown upperparts with blackish markings; black crest on head; dark stripe behind eye continues down neck; pale buffy underparts.
Image by: 1) Andrea_Ferreira 2) Nick Athanas - Argentian
Genus Nothocercus
Tinamou,_Highland Nothocercus bonapartei Found: Coata Rica Panama, northern South America
The Highland Tianmou has mainly dark barred plumage; cinnamon back, wings; rufous throat.
Image by: 1) Alan_Lewis
Tinamou,_Hooded Nothocercus nigrocapillus Found: Bolivia, Peru
The Hooded Tinamou has brown upperparts; pale underparts with spotted belly..
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Juan_Molina
Tinamou,_Tawny-breasted Nothocercus julius Found: northwest Andes of South America
The Tawny-breasted Tinamou has mainly darkly barred plumage; cinnamon lower-breast, belly.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Anthony_Collerton in Columbia
Genus Nothoprocta
Tinamou, Andean Nothoprocta pentlandii Found: Andes of South America
The Andean Tinamous has grayish-brown to olive-brown upperparts with black and white barring; gray breast spotted with white or buff; dark crown; mottled gray throat, sides of head; yellow legs.
Image by: 1) Joseph Smit 2) Dominic Sherony - Peru 3) Dick Daniels - San Francisco Zoo
Tinamou,_Bushland Nothoprocta cinerascens Found: mainly Argentian; also Bolivia,Paraguay
Image by: 1) Alan_Drewitt 2) Manuel_Godoy 3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Ignacio_Hernandez
Tinamou,_Chilean Nothoprocta perdicaria Found: Chile
The Chilean Tinamou has dark upperparts with light patterns; dark crown; buffy face with dark eye-line; brown neck; gray or brownish breast.
Image by: 1) Guido_Fischer 2) Opisska - Easter Island 3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Rodrigo_Tapia
Tinamou,_Curve-billed Nothoprocta curvirostris Found: Ecuador, Peru
The Curve-billed Tinamou has dark brown upperparts with white scalloping; white throat; deeply down cruved bill; tawny-rufous breast; paler belly.
Image by: 1) Andreas_Kay 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Mike_Danzenbaker in Ecuador
Tinamou,_Ornate Nothoprocta ornata Found: Argentian, Bolivia, Chile, Peru
The Ornate Tinamou has brownish-gray upperparts marked with buff and black giving an ornate appearance; darj crown, eye-line; tawny-buff underparts; yellow or gray legs.
Image by: 1, 2) Ron_Knight 3) Nick Athanas - Argentina
Tinamou,_Taczanowski's Nothoprocta taczanowskii Found: Peru
The Taczanowski's Tinamou has dark upperparts with thin buff stripes; pale grayish-buff throat; gray breast with buffy spots bordered black; blackish down-curved bill.
Image by: 1) Joseph_Smit
Genus Nothura
Nothura,_Chaco Nothura chacoensis Found: near the Argentina and Bolivia border
Similar to: Spotten Nothura. The Chaco Nothura is buffier than the Spotted Nothura.
Image by: 1) hbw.com
Nothura, Darwin's Nothura darwinii Found: grasslands of southern Andes of South America
The Darwin's Nothura has brown upperparts streaked with buff; barred flanks; black crown with buff streaks; whitish throat.
Similar to: Spotted Nothura. Darwin's Nothura is more rufous with broader streaks on the underparts.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Fabricio_Gorleri in Argentina 2) Dominic_SheronySimilar to: Spotted Nothura. Darwin's Nothura is more rufous with broader streaks on the underparts.
Nothura, Lesser Nothura minor Found: low dry grasslands in warm to hot regions of southeast South America
The Lesser Nothura is rufous with yellow mottling; chestnut crown; buff face; buff throat with some yellow and dark brown spots; chestnut underparts; streaks on breast; rufous wings with dusky barring; yellow legs; black bill.
Image by: 1) Renato Caniatti 
Nothura, Spotted Nothura maculosa Found: grassy areas of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina
The Spotted Nothura has brown upperparts streaked with buff; buff underparts streaked with black and brown; barred flanks; black crown with buff streaks; whitish throat; yellow-gray legs or brown.
Similar to: Chaco Nothura. The Chaco Nothura is buffier than the Spotted Nothura.
Similar to: Darwin's Nothura. Darwin's Nothura is more rufous with broader streaks on the underparts.
Image by: 1) Cristiano Crolle - Esteros del Iberà, Argentina 2) Marcel Holyoak - Brazil 3, 4)
Cláudio Timm - Brazil Similar to: Chaco Nothura. The Chaco Nothura is buffier than the Spotted Nothura.
Similar to: Darwin's Nothura. Darwin's Nothura is more rufous with broader streaks on the underparts.
Nothura,_White-bellied Nothura boraquira Found: eastern Brazil; Bolivia, northern Paraguay
The White-bellied Nothura has light brown upperparts barred black with white streaks; white throat; buff breast; white belly.
Image by: 1) Claudio_Timm 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Onlin e -Anselmo_d'Affonseca
Genus Rhynchotus
Tinamou,_Huayco Rhynchotus maculicollis Found: Argentina, Bolivia
The Huayco Tinamou was previously considered a subspecies of the Red-winged Tinamou. It differs in voice, range, and minor plumage differences. Its range is west of the Red-winged Tinamou.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Marcus_Braun in Bolivia
Tinamou, Red-winged Rhynchotus rufescens Found: Argentina, Boliva, Brazil, Paraguay
The Red-winged Tinamou has brown upperparts with heavy black barring; rufous primaries; cinnamon fore-neck and upper-breast; gray lower-breast; gray-brown belly with black bars on lower belly; black crown; light face.
Image by: 1) Marcos Massarioli 2) Cláudio Timm 3) Georgi_Peshev
Genus Taoniscus - 1 species
Tinamou, Dwarf Taoniscus nanus Found: scrub grasslands of southeast Brazil
The Dwarf Tinamou has grayish-brown mottled upperparts; pale throat; buff upper-breast with dark spots; light lower-breast, belly; dark crown; pale yellow legs. Smallest of Tinamous.
Image by: 1) Alice Navarro
Genus Tinamotis
Tinamou, Patagonian Tinamotis ingoufi Found: southern South America
The Patagonian Timanou has gray upperparts spotted with black; dark crown; white stripes on head, neck; gray to rufous breast; cinnamon belly.
Similar to: Puna Tinamou. Puna Tinamous and Patagonian Tinamou both are of silimlar size and have white stripped necks, but ranges do not overlap.
Image by: 1) Chucao 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online-Sebastián_Villagrán in ChileSimilar to: Puna Tinamou. Puna Tinamous and Patagonian Tinamou both are of silimlar size and have white stripped necks, but ranges do not overlap.
Tinamou, Puna Tinamotis pentlandii Found: high altitude grasslands of Bolivia, Chile, Peru, northwest Argentina
The Puna Timanou has blue-gray upper mantel; brown lower-back with hints of olive; whitish head and neck with black streaks; blue-gray upper-breast transitioning to rufous lower-belly with dark barring.
Similar to: Patagonian Tinamou. Puna Tinamous and Patagonian Tinamou both are of silimlar size and have white stripped necks, but ranges do not overlap.
Image by: 1) Joxerra Aihartza - Andes of Argentina 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Fabrice_Schmitt in ChileSimilar to: Patagonian Tinamou. Puna Tinamous and Patagonian Tinamou both are of silimlar size and have white stripped necks, but ranges do not overlap.
Genus Tinamus
Tinamou, Gray Tinamus tao Found: South America
The Gray Tinamou has mostly gray plumage; paler underparts; fine blackish barring on head, back.
Image by: 1) Livaldo 2, 3) Nick Athanas - Brazil 
Tinamou, Great Tinamus major Found: Mexico, Central America, northern to middle South America
The Great Tinamou has brownish to olive upperparts; lighter underparts; black barred flanks; rufous crown, neck; blue-gray legs. It is the size of a small turkey. Dark race has brownish-black upperparts.
Image by: 1) Patrick Coin 2) Vince_Smith 3, 4) Nick Athanas - Ecuador, Costa Rica
Tinamou,_Solitary Tinamus solitarius Found: eastern Brazil, southeast Paraguay, northeast Argentina
The Solitary Tinamou has dark brown upperparts with some black barring; grayish-brown neck, breast, flanks; lighter belly. Neck has dark stripe.
Image by: 1) Livaldo Fregona 2) Claudio_Timm 3) Nick Athanas - Brazil
Tinamou,_White-throated Tinamus guttatus Found: Amazon rainforest of South America
The White-throated Timanou has chestnut-brown upperparts with blackish streaking on lower back; paler underparts; gray head and neck; white throat; brown eyes; brown bill.
Image by: 1) Livaldo Fregona 2) Marcos_Massarioli
