Animalia Life

Nothocercus bonapartei
TAXONOMY
Nothocercus bonapartei Gray, 1867, Aragua, Venezuela. Five subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Bonaparte’s tinamou; French: Tinamou de Bonaparte; German: Bergtinamu; Spanish: Tinamъ Serrano.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
15 in (38.5 cm), 2 lb (925 g). Mottled or barred with black and cinnamon on back and wings. Throat is variable rufous color.
DISTRIBUTION
Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and Venezuela.
HABITAT
Tropical and subtropical forest, mainly above 5,000 ft (1,500 m), favoring damp areas, especially those with bamboo thickets.
BEHAVIOR
The call is loud and hollow, repeated many times, given by the male from his home range, which he occupies throughout the year.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on fallen fruits and small animals.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
The male defends a small territory in his home range, attracting one or more females with calls and a display known as “follow feeding.” The nest, which may contain eggs from several females in a clutch of four to 12, is concealed in ground vegetation. Incubation is by the male alone.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Hunted as a game bird; populations in Costa Rica and Peru have declined as a result.

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