The Tinamous are one of the most ancient groups of bird, members of a South American bird family of about 47 species in 9 genera. Although they look similar to other ground-dwelling birds like quail and grouse, they have no close relatives and are classified as a single family Tinamidae within their own order, the Tinamiformes.

Of ultimately Gondwanan origin, they are distantly related to the ratites, the order Struthioniiformes that includes the Rhea, Emu, and Kiwi. Although the fossil record in South America is generally poor (or perhaps largely undiscovered as yet), the known tinamou fossil record goes back 10 million years.

Together with the ratites, they make up the Paleognathae, or “Old Jaws”, as distinct from the vast majority of modern birds in the Neognathae , or “New Jaws”.

There are 47 species of tinamou in South America and north to Mexico, occurring in a wide range of habitats. They eat a variety of food including insects and berries.

Tinamou are rarely seen. Most inhabit the tropical lowlands of South America, typically in dark, dense forest, but some species range as far north as Mexico and occur in a wide range of habitats. They eat a variety of food including insects and berries.

Although some species are quite common, they are very secretive. A small number of species live in more open, grassy country, but even these are wary. Tinamous lay several eggs which are attractively coloured and have a hard gloss like porcelain. The young are precocial, and can run almost as soon as they hatch.

Species are:

• Order Tinamiformes
  • Family Tinamidae
    • White-throated Tinamou, Tinamus guttatus
    • Grey Tinamou, Tinamus tao
    • Solitary Tinamou, Tinamus solitarius
    • Black Tinamou, Tinamus osgoodi
    • Great Tinamou, Tinamus major
    • Highland Tinamou, Nothocercus bonapartei
    • Tawny-breasted Tinamou, Nothocercus julius
    • Hooded Tinamou, Nothocercus nigrocapillus
    • Berlepsch's Tinamou, Crypturellus berlepschi
    • Little Tinamou, Crypturellus soui
    • Cinereous Tinamou, Crypturellus cinereus
    • Tepui Tinamou, Crypturellus ptaritepui
    • Brown Tinamou, Crypturellus obsoletus
    • Undulated Tinamou, Crypturellus undulatus
    • Pale-browed Tinamou, Crypturellus transfasciatus
    • Brazilian Tinamou, Crypturellus strigulosus
    • Grey-legged Tinamou, Crypturellus duidae
    • Red-legged Tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus
      • Magdalena Tinamou, Crypturellus erythropus saltuarius
    • Yellow-legged Tinamou, Crypturellus noctivagus
    • Black-capped Tinamou, Crypturellus atrocapillus
    • Thicket Tinamou, Crypturellus cinnamomeus
    • Slaty-breasted Tinamou, Crypturellus boucardi
    • Choco Tinamou, Crypturellus kerriae
    • Variegated Tinamou, Crypturellus variegatus
    • Rusty Tinamou, Crypturellus brevirostris
    • Bartlett's Tinamou, Crypturellus bartletti
    • Small-billed Tinamou, Crypturellus parvirostris
    • Barred Tinamou, Crypturellus casiquiare
    • Tataupa Tinamou, Crypturellus tataupa
    • Red-winged Tinamou, Rhynchotus rufescens
    • Taczanowski's Tinamou, Nothoprocta taczanowskii
    • Kalinowski's Tinamou, Nothoprocta kalinowskii
    • Ornate Tinamou, Nothoprocta ornata
    • Chilean Tinamou, Nothoprocta perdicaria
    • Brushland Tinamou, Nothoprocta cinerascens
    • Andean Tinamou, Nothoprocta pentlandii
    • Curve-billed Tinamou, Nothoprocta curvirostris
    • White-bellied Nothura Nothura boraquira
    • Lesser Nothura Nothura minor
    • Darwin's Nothura Nothura darwinii
    • Spotted Nothura Nothura maculosa
    • Chaco Nothura Nothura chacoensis
    • Dwarf Tinamou , Taoniscus nanus
    • Elegant Crested Tinamou, Eudromia elegans
    • Quebracho Crested Tinamou, Eudromia formosa
    • Puna Tinamou, Tinamotis pentlandii
    • Patagonian Tinamou, Tinamotis ingoufi