The Tawny-breasted Tinamou Nothocercus julius is a type of ground bird found in montane moist forest. Their range is northwestern South America.

Taxonomy

All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also Ratites. Unlike other Ratites, Tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers. All ratites evolved from prehistoric flying birds, and Tinamous are the closest living relative of these birds.

Description

This tinamou is approximately 38 cm (15 in) long.

Behavior

Like other Tinamous, the Bartlett's eats fruit off the ground or low-lying bushes. They also eat small amounts of invertebrates, flower buds, tender leaves, seeds, and roots. The male incubates the eggs which may come from as many as 4 different females, and then will raise them until they are ready to be on their own, usually 2-3 weeks. The nest is located on the ground in dense brush or between raised root buttresses.

Range

This species is native to the Andes in far western Venezuela, central Colombia, and southern Peru. They may also be in Ecuador.

Habitat

The tawny-breasted tinamou is a type of ground bird found in montane moist forest up to 1,700"?3,350 m (5,600"?11,000 ft) altitude.

Conservation

The tawny-breasted tinamou is listed as Least Concern bu the IUCN, and has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 110,000 km2 (42,000 sq mi).