Tinamou | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Itisthemalewhobothconstructsanddefendsthenest.Theeggsareamongthemostbeautifulofallbirdeggs,alwaysmonochromaticandhighlyglazed.The ...

Certain species[1] have well-defined breeding periods, and others breed throughout the year. Courting birds raise their thickly feathered rump and display their brightly coloured undertails. A similar display has been observed in a frightened Crypturellus: the bird[2] presses the breast to the ground, raises the rump, spreads the terminal[3] feathers like a fan, and exhibits the sharply marked underparts. Courting birds have also been observed chasing each other around on the ground. In the ornate tinamou (Nothoprocta ornata) it is the females who perform courtship displays.

Multiple mating is the rule among tinamous, although a few species maintain stable pairs. All forms of polygamy exist, the conditions varying between and even within species. Many species have uneven sex ratios; preponderance of males seems to be more frequent. The ratio of male...