Systematics

Nine subspecies recognized, based on variation in plumage and size; the following diagnoses of the subspecies are from Blake (1977):

cerviniventris, described as Crypturus cerviniventris Sclater and Salvin 1873; type locality "Venezuela"

Occurs in northern Venezuela in northwestern Lara, Falcón, and in the coastal cordillera in Aragua and Distrito Federal.

Smaller, paler and less rufescent than castaneus, with belly more ochraceous and barring on the flanks narrower and more sharply defined.

knoxi, described as Crypturellus obsoletus knoxi Phelps 1976; type locality 35 kilometers south of Cabudare, Lara, Venezuela, 1500 meters

Occurs in the Andes of western Venezuela.

Similar to cerviniventris, but the upperparts are chestnut, the lower foreneck has a deep reddish tinge that contrasts with the paler and dull, sandy brown belly, and the markings on the lower underparts are less contrasting.

castaneus, described as Tinamus castaneus Sclater 1858; type locality "Bogotá", Colombia.

Occurs in eastern Colombia (Bogotá), eastern Ecuador, and northern Peru (south to San Martín)

Has little or no dorsal vermiculation. Relatively large, dark, and with more uniform plumage, with less rufescence.

ochraceiventris, described as Crypturus obsoletus ochraceiventris Stolzmann 1926; type locality La Gloria, Chanchamayo, Junín, Peru.

Occurs in central Peru.

Subspecies ochraceiventris is much more rufescent (less brownish) than castaneus, with a darker crown; and is much brighter chestnut rufous above, and darker, more rufous below, than punensis.

traylori, described as Crypturellus obsoletus traylori Blake 1961; type locality 8 kilometers south of Hacienda Cadena, Marcapata Valley, Cuzco, Peru; 1400 m

Known with certainty only from the Marcapata Valley, Cuzco, Peru.

Differs from all other subspecies by the uniform, sooty blackish upperparts. The head also is very dark, with a sooty black crown and sides of the head.

punensis, described as Crypturus obsoletus punensis Chubb 1917; type locality Oroya, Puno, Peru

Occurs from southeastern Peru (Puno) south to western Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Has a darker crown than nominate obsoletus, more rufescent upperparts, and brighter, more rufous upperparts. Center of breast and belly ochraceous tawny (not cinnamon rufous). The upperparts are much darker than in ochraceiventris, and punensis is paler, less rufescent below.

griseiventris, described as Crypturus griseiventris Salvadori 1895; type locality Santarém, Brazil

Occurs in central Brazil, south of the Amazon, along the lower Rio Tapajós

Subspecies griseiventris is more rufescent (less brownish) above than nominate obsoletus, and has a uniformly pale buffy grayish breast and belly.

hypochraceus, described as Crypturornis obsoleta hynochracea [sic] (Miranda-Ribeiro 1938); type locality Vilhena and Rio Jamari, Brasil; type locality restricted to Rio Jamari by Blake (1979)

Southwestern Amazonian Brazil in the upper Rio Madeira region.

Similar to griseiventris, but differs in more ochraceous, less grayish, belly.

obsoletus, described as Tinamus obsoletus Temminck 1815; type locality "Brésil", restriced to São Paulo, Brazil by Pinto (1964).

Occurs in southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina.

See Detailed Description.

The distributions of many subspecies are not well known. Additionally, the distributions of some subspecies approach one another very closely (e.g. traylori and ochraceiventris in southern Peru; Blake 1961). Much more research is needed to document the characters and distributions of these taxa, and of their relationships to one another.

Monophyly of the genus Crypturellus is well-supported by analyses of both morphological and genetic characters (Bertelli et al 2002, Bertelli and Porzecanski 2004). Crypturellus obsoletus appears to sister to the species pair Crypturellus tataupa (Tataupa Tinamou) and Crypturellus parvirostris (Small-billed Tinamou) (Bertelli et al 2002, Bertelli and Porzecanski 2004)