Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
Partners in Flight suspect the total population to number 5,000,000-49,999,999 mature individuals, based on information from 2016 (Partners in Flight 2020). The nominate subspecies major is abundant where forest is intact (Restall et al. 2006). In Suriname, it is described as common throughout the inland primary forests (O. Ottema in litt. 2020).
Trend justification
Partners in flight suspect that the population size is moderately declining (Partners in Flight 2020). The species is inferred to have a continuing decline in population size, based on remote-sensed data on tree cover from 2000 onwards that indicates ongoing tree cover loss within the species's range (Tracewski et al. 2016, Global Forest Watch 2020).
An analysis of remote sensing data on tree cover loss from 2000-2012 estimated that tree cover was lost at a rate equivalent to 5% over three generations (20.94 years; Tracewski et al. 2016). Based on tree cover loss data from 2001-2019 from Global Forest Watch, an estimated 8% of tree cover with at least 30% canopy cover was lost within the species's range over the past three generations (20.94 years; Global Forest Watch 2020). Based on tree cover loss data from 2016-2019, during which c.2% of tree cover within the species's range was lost (Global Forest Watch 2020), c.12% of tree cover is projected to be lost within the species's range over the next three generations. The species is highly forest-dependent, so its population size is suspected to be declining in line with tree cover loss. It is also susceptible to hunting, which is assumed to contribute an additional population decline of up to 5% over three generations. Therefore, the species is suspected to have undergone a population reduction of 8-13% over the past three generations, and to undergo a population reduction of 12-17% over the next three generations.
Tinamus major has a wide distribution within the Neotropics, with 12 recognised subspecies (Cabot 1992, Sick 1997). Subspecies robustus occurs in south-east Mexico, east Guatemala and Honduras, overlapping with percautus, also occuring in south-east Mexico as well as north Guatemala and Belize. Subspecies fuscipennis ranges from north Nicaragua through Costa Rica to west Panama, overlapping with castaneiceps which occurs in south-west Costa Rica and west Panama. Subspecies brunneiventris is endemic to south-central Panama. Subspecies saturatus occurs in east Panama and north-west Colombia. Subspecies latifrons is distributed in south-west Colombia and west Ecuador, where it is uncommon to rare (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Restall et al. 2006). Subspecies zuliensis occurs in north-east Colombia and north Venezuela. Subspecies peruvianus ranges from south-east Colombia and east Ecuador through Peru to north-east Bolivia and extreme west Brazil. Subspecies serratus is endemic to north-west Brazil. The nominate subspecies major ranges from east Venezuela through Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana to north-east Brazil (del Hoyo et al. 1992). Subspecies olivascens occurs in Amazonian Brazil (del Hoyo et al. 1992).
The species occurs in dense rainforest of both "terra firme" (non-flooded) and "várzea" (seasonally-flooded) types, up to 1,500 m. It has also been recorded in secondary forests (Brooks 2004, Schelsky 2004, Whitworth et al. 2018) and plantations (Whitworth et al. 2018). It feeds on the forest floor, predominantly on berries, fruits and seeds, but will also take nuts and small animals such as insects, small molluscs and annelids (Cabot 1992, Sick 1997). Breeding is generally between January and July, but perhaps all year round in Suriname where it has been recorded breeding in September. The nest is made between the buttress roots of large trees (del Hoyo et al. 1992).
The species's main threat comes from habitat loss across its large range (Tracewski et al. 2016, Global Forest Watch 2020). Causes of deforestation within the species's range include agriculture, road-building, selective logging, and gold mining (O. Ottema in litt. 2020). In Suriname, approximately 10-20% of inland primary forests are timber concessions, and 20-30% are mining concessions (O. Ottema in litt. 2020). Although the species has been recorded in secondary forest and plantations at similar densities to primary forest, it avoids cleared agricultural areas (Whitworth et al. 2018).
The species is also susceptible to hunting and is prized as a game species (del Hoyo et al.1992, Peres 2000, A. Lees in litt. 2011). Forest degradation is likely to exacerbate this threat, as logging roads facilitate access to forests by hunters (A. Lees in litt. 2011).
Conservation Actions Underway
It occurs in protected areas, such as the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, where the species is common (O. Ottema in litt. 2020).
There has been recent research on the species's habitat requirements and response to habitat alteration (Whitworth et al. 2018).
Conservation Actions Proposed
Continue to monitor habitat loss.
Expand the protected area network to effectively protect IBAs. Effectively resource and manage existing and new protected areas. Conservation on private lands, through expanding market pressures for sound land management and preventing forest clearance on lands unsuitable for agriculture, is also essential (Soares-Filho et al. 2006).
40-46 cm. Large, brown tinamou. Throat and centre of belly generally whitish, but otherwise overall coloration varies between subspecies from light to dark olive brown. Voice A haunting and beautiful call of seven tremulous whistled notes.
Text account compilers
Wheatley, H.
Contributors
Panjabi, A., Lees, A., Guerta, R., Ottema, O., Symes, A., Ekstrom, J., Martin, R., Butchart, S. & Khwaja, N.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Great Tinamou Tinamus major. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/great-tinamou-tinamus-major on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.