bird · GBIF taxon 2477630
Great Tinamou
Tinamus majorAlso known as Greater Tinamou
These plump, ground-dwelling birds are famous for their haunting, flute-like whistles that echo through the rainforest understory at dusk and dawn. They spend their days walking slowly through leaf litter, relying on their mottled olive-brown plumage to blend seamlessly into the shadows. When startled, they burst into a sudden, explosive flight with loud wing-clapping, only to glide back down to the forest floor a short distance away.
Ground-dwellingSecretiveVocalist
Licensed referencePatrick Coin (Patrick Coin) / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
- diet
- Fallen fruits, seeds, and small invertebrates
- family
- Tinamidae
- threats
- Habitat fragmentation, deforestation, and subsistence hunting
- life Span
- 10 to 15 years
NT
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Listen closely: Their distinctive, melancholic whistling calls are easiest to hear at dawn and dusk.
- Scan the floor: Look for movement in deep leaf litter rather than scanning the tree canopy.
- Keep quiet: They are highly sensitive to noise and will slip away silently if they detect footsteps.