Andean Tinamou

About the Andean Tinamou

The Andean tinamou (Nothoprocta pentlandii) is a tinamou, found commonly in high-altitude shrubland, in the Andes of South America. 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. Pentlandii is the Latin form of Pentland which commemorates the Irish Traveller Joseph Barclay Pentland.

The Andean tinamou has seven subspecies: N. p. pentlandii, the nominate race, occurs in the Andes of western Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, and extreme northern Chile. N. p. ambigua occurs in the Andes of southern Ecuador and northwestern Peru.

N. p. oustaleti occurs on the west slope of the Andes in central and southern Peru. N. p. niethammeri occurs in coastal central Peru. N. p. fulvescens occurs in the Andes of southeastern Peru. N. p. doeringi occurs in the Sierras de Córdoba in San Luis and Córdoba Provinces, Argentina.

N. p. mendozae occurs in the Andes of west central Argentina in Neuquén and Mendoza Provinces. Wikipedia →