Great tinamou

Scientific name: Tinamus major

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Large, compact ground bird with greyish-brown upperparts and rufous-chestnut underparts. Smaller, rounder head than larger gamebirds; distinctive bare bluish-green facial skin around the eye.

Size and weight

Males average 0.9–1.1 kg, females 1.0–1.2 kg. Body length 40–48 cm.

Habitat

Moist forest floor in tropical and subtropical rainforest, typically near streams and waterlogged areas. Occurs from sea level to approximately 1,500 metres elevation.

Distribution

Central and South America from Mexico through central Brazil and Peru. Resident of humid lowland and terra firme rainforest.

Diet

Primarily insects, snails and small arthropods gleaned from the forest floor; also takes seeds and small fruits when available.

Behaviour

Active during dawn and dusk, walks the ground floor foraging methodically. Solitary or paired; remains inconspicuous and wary despite its size.

Hunting tips

Search for footprints in soft humus and shallow scrapes where birds dig for food. Listen for their distinctive ground-drumming calls at dawn. Approach from the side using vegetation as cover; birds detect frontal approach more readily than lateral stalking.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 3 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.