biology

Small-billed tinamou

Small-billed tinamou is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Small-billed tinamou rather than just read about it. In short: The small-billed tinamou (Crypturellus parvirostris) is a type of tinamou commonly found in dry savanna in Amazonian South America. Taxonomy The small-billed tinamou was formally described in 1827 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler based on a specimen collected in Brazil.

Key takeaways

Small-billed tinamou belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Small-billed tinamou to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Small-billed tinamou from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The small-billed tinamou (Crypturellus parvirostris) is a type of tinamou commonly found in dry savanna in Amazonian South America.

Taxonomy The small-billed tinamou was formally described in 1827 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler based on a specimen collected in Brazil. Wagler coined the binomial name Crypturus parvirostris. The specific epithet combines the Latin parvus meaning "small" with -rostris meaning "-billed". The small-billed tinamou is now one of 21 species placed in the genus Crypturellus that was introduced in 1914 by the British ornithologists Baron Brabourne and Charles Chubb. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also ratites. Unlike other ratites, tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers. All ratites evolved from prehistoric flying birds, and tinamous are the closest living relative of these birds.

Description The small-billed tinamou is approximately 22 cm (8.7 in) in length. Its upperparts are dark brown, with grey to brownish underparts and head. Its bill and legs are red.

Distribution and habitat The small-billed tinamou prefers dry savanna, but will also reside in lowland shrubland. Its range is Amazonian South America; Brazil except for the southeastern portion, northeastern Peru, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina.

Behavior Like other tinamous, the small-billed eats fruit off the ground or low-lying bushes. They also eat small amounts of invertebrates, flower buds, tender leaves, seeds, and roots. The male incubates the eggs which may come from as many as 4 different females, and then will raise them until they are ready to be on their own, usually 2–3 weeks. The nest is located on the ground in dense brush or between raised root buttresses.

Domestication The small billed tinamou has been considered an ideal candidate for domestication as the birds can raise 3-4 broods per year and are resistant to diseases that affect chickens.

Conservation The IUCN classifies this tinamou as Least Concern, with an occurrence range of 6,700,000 km2 (2,600,000 sq mi).

References

References BirdLife International (2008). "Bartlett's Tinamou - BirdLife Species Factsheet". Data Zone. Retrieved 9 Feb 2009. Clements, James (2007). The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World (6th ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-4501-9. Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003). "Tinamous". In Hutchins, Michael (ed.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 57–59. ISBN 0-7876-5784-0.

External links Associação Mãe-da-lua Small-billed Tinamou (Crypturellus parvirostris) - photos, sounds, notes

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Small-billed tinamou

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Small-billed tinamou claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Small-billed tinamou before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Small-billed tinamou ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Small-billed tinamou

In research: Small-billed tinamou appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Small-billed tinamou in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Small-billed tinamou is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bird stubs, Birds described in 1827, Birds of Bolivia, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Small-billed tinamou outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Small-billed tinamou” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Small-billed tinamou in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Small-billed tinamou means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Small-billed tinamou out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Small-billed tinamou in simple terms?

The small-billed tinamou (Crypturellus parvirostris) is a type of tinamou commonly found in dry savanna in Amazonian South America. Taxonomy The small-billed tinamou was formally described in 1827 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler based on a specimen collected in Brazil.

Why does Small-billed tinamou matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Small-billed tinamou?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Small-billed tinamou.