Brown Tinamou
Crypturellus obsoletus
The brown tinamou is a brownish ground bird found in humid lowland and montane forest in tropical and subtropical South America.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_tinamou
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Tinamiformes
Family
Tinamidae
Genus
Crypturellus
Brown Tinamou belongs to the family Tinamidae, order Tinamiformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
The brown tinamou is a brownish ground bird found in humid lowland and montane forest in tropical and subtropical South America.
The Brown Tinamou faces significant pressure from widespread deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its South American range, particularly due to agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, and logging activities. Hunting pressure for subsistence and commercial purposes further threatens populations, while climate change is altering the composition and distribution of the forest ecosystems this ground-dwelling species depends upon.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Brown Tinamous inhabit humid tropical and subtropical forests, including primary and secondary lowland rainforests, montane forests, and forest edges from sea level up to approximately 1,500 meters elevation. They prefer areas with dense understory vegetation and are found in both terra firme and várzea forest types across the Amazon Basin and Atlantic Forest regions.
Threats
Agricultural expansion and cattle ranching
Deforestation and habitat loss
Climate change impacts on forest ecosystems
Habitat fragmentation
Hunting pressure
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Brown Tinamou (Crypturellus obsoletus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/brown-tinamou