53. Ratites Bird Group - Tinamous

Ratites

Taxonomists group several orders of large flightless birds under the term ratite. Tinamous form an order (Tinamiformes) comprising a single family, with two distinct subfamilies, containing 47 species of birds found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. The word "tinamou" comes from the Galibi term for these birds, tinamu. One of the most ancient living groups of bird, they first appear in the fossil record in the Miocene epoch. Tinamous have traditionally been regarded as the sister group of the flightless ratites, but recent work places them well within the ratite radiation, implying basal ratites were flighted. They are generally sedentary, ground-dwelling and, though not flightless, when possible avoid flight in favor of hiding or running away from danger. They are found in a variety of habitats, ranging from semi-arid alpine grasslands to tropical rainforests.

Tinamous and their eggs have many natural predators, from falcons and vampire bats to jaguars and giant anteaters. They have also been extensively hunted by humans and sometimes persecuted as agricultural pests. However, the main threat to their populations is from habitat destruction through land clearing and agricultural development.