Highland tinamou

Species of birdTemplate:SHORTDESC:Species of bird

The **highland tinamou** or **Bonaparte's tinamou** (*Nothocercus bonapartei*) is a type of ground bird found in montane moist forest typically over 1,500 m (4,900 ft) altitude.

## Taxonomy

All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also ratites. Unlike other ratites, tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers. All ratites evolved from prehistoric flying birds, and tinamous are the closest living relative of these birds.

It has five subspecies:

* *N. b. frantzii* occurs in the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama.
* *N. b. bonapartei* occurs in northwestern Venezuela and northern Colombia.
* *N. b. discrepans* occurs in central Colombia (Tolima and Meta provinces).
* *N. b. intercedens* occurs in the western Andes of Colombia.
* *N. b. plumbeiceps* occurs in the Andes of eastern Ecuador and far northern Peru.

George Robert Gray identified the highland tinamou from a specimen from Aragua, Venezuela, in 1867.

## Etymology

The specific name *bonapartei*, a Latin genitive of the name Bonaparte, commemorates Charles Lucien Bonaparte.

## Description

The highland tinamou averages 38.5 cm (15.2 in) long, and weighs 925 g (2.039 lb). Its plumage is mottled or barred with black and cinnamon on back and wings with a rufous throat.

## Behavior

The highland tinamou is a shy tinamou and usually solitary or in small groups of up to five. It likes to eat fruit from the ground or hanging from low plants, and will sometimes eat insects. Its call is a repetitive loud and hollow call by the male.

During breeding season, the male will incubate the eggs which may be from more than one female and may consist of 4-12 eggs. After hatching the male will also take care of the chicks.

## Range

This tinamou is located in the Andes of Colombia, eastern Ecuador, northern Peru, western Venezuela, and the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama.

## Habitat

The highland tinamou frequents montane forest above 1,500 m (4,900 ft), liking damp areas, especially bamboo thickets, and ravines.

## Conservation

This species is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern, and even though it is hunted for food, its population seems to be stable. It has an occurrence range of 140,000 km2 (54,000 sq mi).

## Footnotes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 BirdLife International (2012). "*Nothocercus bonapartei*". *IUCN Red List of Threatened Species*. **2012**. Retrieved 26 November 2013. old-form url
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Brands, S. (2008)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 American Ornithologists' Union (1998)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Davies, S. J. J. F. (2003)
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Clements, J (2007)
6. ↑ BirdLife International (2009)
7. ↑ BirdLife International (2008)

## References

* American Ornithologists' Union (1998) [1983]. "Tinamiformes: Tinamidae: Tinamous". *Check-list of North American Birds* (PDF) (7th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Ornithologists' Union . p. 1 . ISBN 1-891276-00-X.
* BirdLife International (2008). "Highland Tinamou - BirdLife Species Factsheet". *Data Zone*. Retrieved 6 Feb 2009.
* Brands, Sheila (Aug 14, 2008). "Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification, Nothocercus bonapartei". *Project: The Taxonomicon*. Retrieved Feb 4, 2009.
* Clements, James (2007). *The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World* (6th ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-4501-9.
* Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003). "Tinamous". In Hutchins, Michael. *Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia*. **8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins** (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 57–59, 62. ISBN 0-7876-5784-0.