| I've seen about a half-dozen Great Tinamous on my (to date) two trips to Panama. The individual pictured below was my first, found along Pipeline Road in August of 2003. It's not a great image, simply because the subject was so dark (I've goosed the brightness up a bit here). This bird was sitting on a nest in the crook formed by the buttress roots of a large tree, apparently the typical nesting site for this species. The bird sat perfectly still while my small group observed her for a few seconds, and then quickly moved on lest we disturb her. |
| Despite several other encounters, including a foraging bird but 5' away in September of 2004, I haven't managed to capture additional footage of this reclusive bird. One of my favorite tales regarding the Great Tinamou comes from Alexander Wetmore's seminal Birds of the Republic of Panama (Volume I, 1963). Wetmore describes the origin of a local Spanish name for the Great Tinamou, perdiz de arca (this term is either antiquated or very local; these days the species is generally simply called 'tinamú'). Legend has it that the Great Tinamou was aboard Noah's Ark (presumably a pair), and when the Rainbow of Promise emerged, the bird(s) was frightened by the bright colors, and flew deep into the forest, where it has remained hidden ever since. As good an explanation as any for the bird's secretive ways! |
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