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LITTLE TINAMOU  Crypturellus soui 20–24cm. Small tinamou of humid

lowland second-growth thickets, grassy forest edge, rarely forest interior. More

skulking and usually harder to see than medium-size and large tinamous, aided

by its denser habitat. Note unbarred plumage, greenish-yellow legs, small size;

cf. Uniform Crake (p. 94) as well as other tinamous. SOUNDS: Drawn-out clear

whistle, 1–2 secs, often rising slightly and falling off with slight quaver, wheee-

eeeerr, every 3–15 secs, at times in paired or tripled cadence. Less frequently,

series of (usually 4–8) clear, tremulous whistles, about 1/sec; series intensifies

then ends abruptly, wheeeéh, wheeeer, wheeeer.…STATUS: Fairly common on

both slopes, to 1500m. (Mexico to S America.)

THICKET TINAMOU  Crypturellus cinnamomeus 25.5–29cm. Medium-size,

relatively brightly marked tinamou of lowland dry forest and second-growth

woodland with brushy understory, plantations. Walks quietly and often quickly

on ground, but may be detected when rustling in dry leaves; prefers to run or

freeze when alarmed; flushes explosively with whirring wings. The only tinamou

in most or all of its range, but local overlap seems possible with Slaty-breasted

Tinamou, which favors humid forest, has grayish head and breast, duller or no

pale barring, very different voice. SOUNDS: Song a melancholy, drawn-out pure

whistle, 0.5–1 sec; subtle modulation often produces 2-parted cadence, whoo-

oo; usually 15 secs or longer between songs. STATUS: Fairly common on n. Pacific slope, to 1000m.

(Mexico to Costa Rica.)

SLATY-BREASTED TINAMOU  Crypturellus boucardi 25.5–28cm. Medium-

size, rather dark tinamou of humid lowland forest, adjacent second growth.

Walks quietly and often quickly on shady forest floor; prefers to run or freeze

when alarmed. Note medium size, grayish breast, red legs. Cf. other lowland

tinamous; wood quail usually in groups, have grayish legs. SOUNDS:  Far-

carrying, low, slightly tremulous, drawn-out whoooo-oo-oooo, about 2 secs;

usually at least 15 secs between songs; rarely a shorter hoo-oo; quality recalls the

sound made by blowing across the top of a bottle. STATUS: Uncommon to fairly

common on n. Caribbean slope, to 700m. (Mexico to Costa Rica.)