Fun Elegant Crested Tinamou Facts For Kids

An elegant crested tinamou (Eudromia elegans) is a type of old-world ratite bird with flying abilities. The species are found in southern Chile and western parts of Argentina in South America.

Elegant crested tinamous have become a rare species in many parts of their range due to a considerable amount of hunting and large-scale habitat destruction. The birds also act as common prey of many larger birds and mammals in their range. All these factors have reduced the tinamou nest sites appreciably.

This species searches for sites with moderate to little vegetation for the purpose of roosting. They have been identified by some conservation sites over some parts of their range.

The birds build the breeding nests on the ground. They form a shallow bowl-like structure on the ground, like at the base of a tree or under low bushes and grasses, by digging with their feet.

Both males and females take part in building the nest. To know more facts about the elegant crested tinamou, keep on reading these amazing facts.

 For similar content, check out these Chilean tinamou and tinamou facts too.

Elegant Crested Tinamou Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an elegant crested tinamou?

An elegant crested tinamou (Eudromia elegans) is a type of bird.

What class of animal does an elegant crested tinamou belong to?

An elegant crested tinamou (Eudromia elegans) of the Tinamiformes order and Tinamidae family belong to the class Aves, the common class for all birds.

How many elegant crested tinamous are there in the world?

The accurate global population of the elegant crested tinamous is currently unknown. However, in some parts of their range, the bird has been described as locally common. Although they are classified as the least concerned species because of their large range and moderately wide population, the bird population is following a decreasing trend.

Where does an elegant crested tinamou live?

The elegant crested tinamous are found in southern South America. Most of the birds are found in Argentina.

The elegant crested tinamou range extends from southwestern Argentina in Santa Cruz to the east and south Argentina up to Buenos Aires. They are also found in the southern parts of Chile. The species of tinamous have been located in Bolivia as well, but the population has not been verified there.

What is an elegant crested tinamou's habitat?

The most preferable habitat of the elegant crested tinamou species is in arid and semi-arid scrublands. They occupy lowland grassland, cultivated farmland, dry savanna, open woodland, and bushy hill slopes.

They avoid inhabiting areas with tall and dense vegetation like tall grasses and dense thickets. As they move to the higher temperate lands, the tinamou species prefer nesting in thorny and dry scrubs.

Who does elegant crested tinamous live with?

The elegant crested tinamou is a highly gregarious bird that lives by forming large groups. The birds are often seen walking or running together in search of food. Generally, an elegant crested tinamou flock consists of 50-100 birds, but they forage on the ground by forming small family groups.

How long does an elegant crested tinamou live?

The species of elegant crested tinamou can live up to seven to eight years of age in captivity.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the elegant crested tinamous of the Tinamidae family lasts from September to March, reaching a peak between November to January. Females can produce up to two broods in a single season.

Polyandry and polygyny are common in the species of elegant crested tinamou. To attract partners, the birds try to appear larger by fluffing up the rump and the lower back feather. They stretch their neck and bow down in front of other birds as a part of their mating displays.

After mating, the female birds lay five to six eggs in a single clutch. The elegant crested tinamou eggs are incubated only by males. The chicks emerge after an incubation period of 20-21 days.

Males provide parental care. The birds breed for the second time only if they lose their first clutch.

What is their conservation status?

The elegant crested tinamou of the Eudromia genus and Tinamidae family is listed as a species of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List. Despite the fact that these birds are decreasing, the decline is not suspected to be enough to reach the threshold of endangered species.

Apart from that, the elegant crested tinamous also seem to have a considerably large range to be regarded as a vulnerable species.

Elegant Crested Tinamou Fun Facts

What do elegant crested tinamous look like?

An elegant crested tinamou (Eudromia elegans) is a stocky bird with a large body and a short tail. They have a yellowish-brown or dark olive plumage mottled with black and white vermiculations on the upper parts.

The fore neck and the breast, along with the upper underparts of the tinamous, are barred with scattered dark streaks.

The bar marks are spread more finely on the lower belly, flanks, upper breast, and under tail coverts. Like the crested caracara, this tinamou species has a long and narrow red-colored crest on the head, which distinguishes them from other tinamou species of the Eudromia genus.

We've been unable to source an image of a crested tinamou salamander and have used an image of a Chilean Tinamou instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a crested tinamou, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.

How cute are they?

An elegant crested tinamou is generally no considered to be cute by humans.

How do they communicate?

The tinamou communicates with each other through vocalizations. They communicate by making 'cow-cow-cow' calls.

How big is an elegant crested tinamou?

The length of an elegant crested tinamou ranges between 15-16 in (39-41 cm). They are about two times smaller than an eagle.

How fast can an elegant crested tinamou fly?

The elegant crested tinamou is not a good flyer; rather, they protect themselves by running away from predators. Their speed is unknown.

How much does an elegant crested tinamou weigh?

The weight of an elegant crested tinamou ranges between 14-18 oz (400-510 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

A male and female elegant crested tinamou are referred to as cock and hen, respectively.

What would you call a baby elegant crested tinamou?

A baby elegant crested tinamou is called a chick.

What do they eat?

The elegant crested tinamou is a carnivorous species. Their diet includes plant matters like fruits, grains, flower buds, and seeds, as well as insects.

Are they dangerous?

No, they are not dangerous.

Would they make a good pet?

No, they do not make good pets.

Did you know...

An elegant crested tinamou is considered to be one of the ratites or non-flying birds like an emu. However, unlike other ratites, they are capable of flying very small distances.

Are they extinct?

The elegant crested tinamou species have a considerably large population, and therefore they are listed as one of the Least Concern birds of the world. Although, their population is declining because of human activities and forest degradation, the decline rate is fortunately not enough to make species extinct.

What is so unique about the tinamou?

The tinamou eggs have different colors in a manner similar to the eggs of a robin. The colors come from the naturally occurring chemical pigment of the Eudromia genus.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these sea eagle facts and little tinamou facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bird coloring pages. 

Main image by DickDaniels and second image by gailhampshire.