Appearance

Tinamous are stocky terrestrial birds with short tail and rounded wings. The two species of Tinamotis are very large tinamous with a boldly striped head, and a rufous vent; in addition, these tinamous have a relatively short bill, and only three toes. Patagonian Tinamou has rufous cinnamon remiges. The sexes are similar.

Patagonian Tinamou is the southernmost species of tinamou, and overlaps with few other species. Elegant Crested-Tinamou (Eudromia elegans) has a long narrow crest, different pattern on breast and upperparts, and no rufous on the wing. Patagonian Tinamou is very similar to Puna Tinamou (Tinamotis pentlandii), but there is no geographic overlap between these two species. Furthermore, Puna Tinamou lacks the rufous remiges of Patagonian Tinamou.

The following description is based on Blake (1977) and Fjeldså and Krabbe (1990):

Adult: Sexes similar. Head boldly patterned. Crown and nape sooty brown, profusely marked with black shaft streaks. Sides of head and neck brown with two very broad, whitish, parallel stripes. The general appearance of the upperparts is mottled, spotted, and finely streaked; the feathers of the upperparts have dark brown centers bordered with gray, and often with bright yellowish olive. Primary coverts and remiges entirely or mainly rufous cinnamon; the primaries and their coverts are unmarked, but the secondaries are lightly vermiculated to, on the inner secondaries, boldly patterned with sooty brown. Throat white or whitish, profusely marked with black shaft streaks. Breast appears obscurely spotted; the feathers of the upper breast and sides are grayish, with dark brown centers edged with white. Lower breast, upper belly, and flanks white, heavily barred with blackish concentric markings; lower belly and vent uniform tawny buff or cinnamon.

Immature: Essentially like the adult.

Undescribed?

Iris: yellow

Bill: dusky olive

Tarsi and toes: slate

Bare parts color data from Blake (1977).

Total length: 33-37.5 cm (Blake 1977), 36 cm (Fjeldså and Krabbe 1990, Jaramillo 2003)

Linear measurements (from Blake 1977):

male (n = 5)

wing length (flat): mean 210.4 mm (range 202-227 mm)

bill length (exposed culmen): mean 24.4 mm (range 23-25 mm)

female (n = 4)

wing length (flat): mean 209.5 mm (range 203-214 mm)

bill length (exposed culmen): mean 24.7 mm (range 24-26 mm)

Mass: 900-1000 g (Pozzi 1923)