Dwarf Tinamou
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| Dwarf Tinamou | ||||||||||||||
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| Taoniscus nanus (Temminck, 1815) |
The Dwarf Tinamou (Taoniscus nanus), also known as the Least Tinamou, is a small, partridge-like bird with short tail and wings. It is approximately 16 cm (6½ in) long. It is greyish-brown with a pale throat, boldly patterned neck and upperparts, brown-barred buff underparts and a blackish crown. Some individuals are significantly darker and greyer than others, but it remains unclear if these plumage variations are morphs or differences between the sexes. The iris and legs are dull yellowish. It resembles a small dumpy nothura, but is more easily confused with the Ocellated Crake. Its voice consists of high-pitched cricket-like trills followed by peet notes. The Dwarf Tinamou is the only member of the genus Taoniscus.
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[edit] Habitats
The Dwarf Tinamou is found in the scrub grasslands habitats restricted to the Cerrado region of central and south-east Brazil in Distrito Federal, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo and formerly Paraná. Specimens are also known from Paraguay (Misiones) and Argentina (the Río Bermejo in either Chaco or Formosa), but all recent records are from Brazil. It is, however, highly inconspicious and easily overlooked.
[edit] Diet
The diet of the Dwarf Tinamou consists mainly of grass seeds, termites, insects and arthropods.
[edit] Threats
The Dwarf Tinamou is currently threatened by the ongoing habitat loss caused by mechanised agriculture, intensive cattle-ranching, afforestation, invasive grasses, excessive use of pesticides and annual burning. It is also hunted by people for food in some areas. The Dwarf Tinamou is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
[edit] Conservation measures
The Dwarf Tinamou is currently been conserved in three protected areas: Serra da Canastra National Park, Itapetininga Experimental Station and the IBGE Roncador Biological Reserve. Several areas adjacent to the Río Bermejo, Argentina, have been surveyed with the aid of tape-playback, but the species has not been found. It was also been proposed to survey Serra do Cipó National Park, Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park and Emas National Park specifically for this species with the aid of tape-playback. And conduct further surveys in Argentina and Paraguay in the areas where the specimen was collected. It was also been proposed to determine best management practices for existing protected areas and control the burning of cerrado habitats.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Taoniscus nanus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 4 March 2007. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
