Tinamous are ancient, partridge-like neotropical birds kept as game and aviary stock. As non-native species they are widely keepable, though state game-bird permits often apply. Here is the full guide.
Tinamous are among the least familiar birds in this entire guide - rounded, ground-dwelling, partridge-like birds of Central and South America - but they are a real and established corner of game-bird and exotic aviculture, and they deserve a clear legal answer.
That answer is encouraging: tinamous are widely keepable. Every tinamou species is native to the Neotropics - Mexico, Central America, and South America - and none is native to the United States. Because they are non-native, the federal migratory-bird framework that governs America's native game birds does not reach them. They are kept as captive-bred exotic birds, primarily by game-bird and ornamental-bird aviculturists.
The qualifier is the same one that applies to pheasants and partridges: tinamous are game birds, and many states regulate game birds under a game-bird breeder's or propagation permit, or under exotic-wildlife rules. So while tinamous are not federally restricted, they are not necessarily permit-free at the state level. This guide explains the law, the remarkable biology of these birds, the species kept in aviculture, and what tinamou husbandry involves.
The legal picture for tinamous is short, because their non-native status removes the heaviest layer of bird law.
No federal migratory-bird restriction. Tinamous are exclusively Neotropical birds with no natural range in the United States. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects native North American birds; it does not apply to tinamous. This is the same favorable position enjoyed by pheasants and most partridges, and it is what makes tinamous keepable at all.
State game-bird and exotic-wildlife law. This is the layer that actually governs tinamou keeping. Tinamous are game birds, and most states require a game-bird breeder's license or propagation permit to keep, breed, or sell game birds; some states will treat tinamous under exotic-wildlife rules instead. Requirements range from an inexpensive long-term license to facility standards and record-keeping, and - as with all game birds - selling and releasing may be regulated separately from keeping.
CITES. Tinamous are not, as a group, heavily CITES-burdened the way parrots or pheasants are, and the species in aviculture are kept as captive-bred stock - but a few tinamous have conservation concerns, so the exact species is always worth checking.
The bottom line for the law: tinamous escape the federal framework, so the first and main call is your state wildlife agency, to learn whether a game-bird permit applies to the species you want.
Tinamous deserve a moment of explanation, because they are biologically remarkable and unlike anything else a keeper is likely to have met.
To the eye, a tinamou looks like a plump partridge or a small, tailless game bird - a rounded body, a small head, strong legs, cryptic brown plumage. But appearances mislead. Tinamous are not related to partridges at all. They belong to an ancient lineage and are the closest living relatives of the ratites - the ostriches, emus, and rheas. The tinamous are, in effect, the flying cousins of the great flightless birds, and together they form one of the oldest branches of the bird family tree.
Tinamous can fly, but reluctantly and poorly - they are ground birds that prefer to walk and run, and they flush only when pressed. They are also famous among bird enthusiasts for two things: the haunting, flute-like, melodious calls many species produce, and their extraordinary eggs, which are glossy and brilliantly colored - turquoise, green, purple, almost porcelain-like - among the most beautiful eggs of any bird.
There are roughly 47 tinamou species, from forest-dwelling species to the open-country tinamous of the grasslands and high Andes. For a keeper, that ancient pedigree and those jewel-like eggs are a large part of the appeal.
Only a modest number of the 47 tinamou species are kept in American aviculture, and they tend to be the hardier, open-country species rather than the delicate forest tinamous.
The species most associated with captive keeping is the Elegant Crested Tinamou (Eudromia elegans) - a handsome, jaunty bird of the South American grasslands and shrub-steppe, marked by a thin, forward-curving crest. It is the most established tinamou in aviculture and the species a prospective keeper is most likely to find.
The Chilean Tinamou (Nothoprocta perdicaria) is another open-country species kept by aviculturists, and the Red-winged Tinamou (Rhynchotus rufescens) - one of the larger tinamous - has drawn interest both as an aviary bird and, in parts of South America, as a game and table bird. The various nothuras and other grassland tinamous appear occasionally in specialist collections.
The forest tinamous - the genus Tinamus and the many Crypturellus species - are far more rarely kept; they are more delicate and more demanding. For the keeper, tinamou aviculture realistically means the Elegant Crested Tinamou first, with the Chilean and Red-winged Tinamous as the next steps for an experienced game-bird keeper.
Tinamous occupy an interesting dual role - part game bird, part ornamental aviary bird - and which role a keeper has in mind shapes the project.
As game birds, the larger species, especially the Red-winged Tinamou, have a long history as table birds in their native South America, where tinamou is genuinely esteemed eating, and there has been periodic interest in tinamous as alternative game and meat birds in other parts of the world. Any such use in the United States runs squarely under state game-bird law, and - as with pheasants and quail - releasing pen-raised birds, if even contemplated, would be separately and tightly regulated.
As ornamental aviary birds, tinamous are kept for their unusual character, their melodious calls, and the novelty of maintaining a living relative of the ratites. The jewel-toned eggs are a particular draw for keepers who hatch their own birds.
For most American keepers the ornamental and breeding role is the realistic one. Either way, the legal entry point is the same: confirm with your state wildlife agency whether a game-bird breeder's permit applies, and secure it before acquiring stock.
Tinamous are rewarding but particular birds, and their husbandry has a few defining features.
They are ground birds and want a planted, secure, ground-level aviary with cover - shrubs, grasses, and visual barriers - where they can walk, forage, and hide. They are also nervous and prone to flushing: a startled tinamou launches almost vertically and can injure itself on a hard or open roof, so a covered aviary, ideally with a soft or well-considered top, is important, exactly as it is for quail and partridges.
Tinamous have an unusual breeding biology worth knowing: in many species the male incubates the eggs and rears the chicks, and a male may tend eggs laid by several females. The glossy, brightly colored eggs are a highlight of keeping them. Chicks are precocial but, like other game-bird chicks, need warm, dry, clean brooding and an appropriate high-protein game-bird starter.
Tinamous also reward a calm, settled routine. They do not adjust well to constant disturbance, frequent rehousing, or busy mixed aviaries with assertive companions, and a stressed tinamou is a tinamou prone to crashing into the aviary roof. A quiet location, consistent daily care, and a stable group composition do as much for these birds as any single feature of the pen itself. Given that calm setting, tinamous settle into a steady, low-drama rhythm of foraging and, in season, the male's quiet diligence at the nest - and they prove reasonably long-lived for game birds.
Tinamous need a game-bird ration supplemented with greens and some live food, shelter from cold (the open-country species are reasonably hardy, but they are not arctic birds), and protection from predators and from the stress to which they are sensitive. For an experienced keeper who provides a planted, covered, low-stress aviary, tinamous are a genuinely distinctive bird to maintain.
Tinamous are a specialist acquisition, and sourcing them takes more effort than finding chickens or even pheasants.
They are sold through game-bird and exotic-bird breeders rather than general poultry sources, and availability is limited - the Elegant Crested Tinamou is the species most likely to be found, with the Chilean and Red-winged Tinamous appearing less often. Tinamous are usually offered as chicks, as juveniles, or as breeding stock; for a first-time tinamou keeper, started juveniles are the most forgiving choice, and a male-plus-females group suits the species' male-incubation breeding system.
Buy from a breeder who keeps healthy, well-housed stock and can speak to the birds' provenance, and - because tinamous are game birds - have your state game-bird permit in hand first. Confirm the specific species' status with your state wildlife agency, since a state may treat tinamous under game-bird rules, exotic-wildlife rules, or both.
As with every specialty bird in this guide, the order matters: secure the permit, build the planted covered aviary, then acquire documented healthy stock. Done that way, a small group of Elegant Crested Tinamous is one of the more unusual and conversation-worthy additions an experienced aviculturist can make to a collection.
Tinamous are a quietly accessible specialty bird. Because every tinamou species is native to the Neotropics and none to the United States, they fall outside the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act entirely - the same favorable legal position that makes pheasants and most partridges keepable.
The governing layer is state law. Tinamous are game birds, and most states require a game-bird breeder's or propagation permit - or apply exotic-wildlife rules - to keep, breed, or sell them. That permit is the main piece of homework, and it should be secured before any bird is acquired. Selling and releasing, as with all game birds, may be regulated separately.
For the keeper, the realistic field is the hardy open-country species - the Elegant Crested Tinamou above all, with the Chilean and Red-winged Tinamous as next steps - sourced as captive-bred stock from game-bird specialists. Provide a planted, covered, low-stress ground aviary and a proper game-bird diet, and these ancient, melodious, jewel-egged relatives of the ostrich are a rewarding and genuinely distinctive bird to keep. Confirm the permit with your state wildlife agency, and tinamous are well within reach of a committed aviculturist.
| Tinamous (all species) | Non-native Neotropical game birds. Outside the MBTA; state game-bird/exotic permit usually applies. |
|---|---|
| Elegant Crested Tinamou | The most established tinamou in aviculture; the realistic first species. |
| Chilean & Red-winged Tinamou | Open-country species kept by experienced game-bird aviculturists. |
| Forest tinamous (Tinamus, Crypturellus) | More delicate; rarely kept; specialist birds. |
| Release of tinamous | Regulated separately under state game-bird law, as with all game birds. |
Yes. Tinamous are non-native Neotropical game birds, so the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act does not apply to them. They are kept as captive-bred exotic birds, though most states require a game-bird breeder's permit or apply exotic-wildlife rules.
In most states, yes - tinamous are game birds, and a state game-bird breeder's or propagation permit is typically required to keep, breed, or sell them. Some states apply exotic-wildlife rules instead. Confirm with your state wildlife agency.
Tinamous are rounded, ground-dwelling, partridge-like birds of Central and South America. Despite the resemblance to partridges, they are an ancient lineage and the closest living relatives of the ratites - ostriches, emus, and rheas.
No - that is a case of convergent appearance. Tinamous only look partridge-like. They belong to an ancient bird lineage and are the flying relatives of the flightless ratites.
The Elegant Crested Tinamou is the most established tinamou in American aviculture and the realistic first species. The Chilean and Red-winged Tinamous are next steps for experienced game-bird keepers.
Tinamous can fly but do so reluctantly and poorly. They are ground birds that prefer to walk and run, flushing only when pressed - which is why they need covered aviaries to avoid injuring themselves.
Tinamou eggs are glossy and brilliantly colored - turquoise, green, purple, almost porcelain-like - among the most beautiful eggs of any bird. They are a particular draw for keepers who hatch their own birds.
Yes, in many tinamou species the male incubates the eggs and rears the chicks, and a single male may tend eggs laid by several females. This unusual breeding system shapes how keepers group their birds.
A game-bird ration supplemented with greens and some live food. Chicks need a high-protein game-bird starter, like other game-bird chicks.
Yes. Tinamous are nervous birds that flush almost vertically when startled and can injure themselves on hard or open roofs. A planted, covered, low-stress aviary is important, as it is for quail and partridges.
Tinamou is esteemed table fare in parts of South America, and the larger Red-winged Tinamou has been kept as a game and meat bird. Any such use in the US runs under state game-bird law, with release separately regulated.
Through game-bird and exotic-bird breeders rather than general poultry sources - availability is limited. The Elegant Crested Tinamou is the species most likely to be found. Secure your state game-bird permit before acquiring stock.
Tinamous are reasonably long-lived for game birds, commonly reaching a decade or more in good captive conditions. Keeping them is a multi-year commitment, and a calm, stable environment helps them thrive.
Not really. While tinamous are legally accessible, they are nervous, flush-prone birds that need a planted covered aviary and a calm routine. They suit an experienced game-bird keeper rather than a first-time bird owner.
Not necessarily - requirements vary. Most states regulate game birds and would require a game-bird breeder's permit for tinamous, but some apply exotic-wildlife rules and a few are more permissive. Always confirm with your state wildlife agency.
Tinamous are nervous, ground-dwelling birds that do best in calm, low-stress aviaries. They can sometimes share space with quiet, non-aggressive companions, but assertive birds stress them - many keepers house tinamous on their own.
This guide is general educational information, not legal advice. Wildlife, agriculture, and zoning law varies by state, county, and municipality and changes frequently. Verify current requirements with your state wildlife agency, USDA APHIS, the USFWS, and your local government before acquiring, breeding, selling, releasing, or transporting any bird.