Elusive Look at One of the World's Least-Known Birds: The Black Tinamou (VIDEO)

Scientists have gotten a closer look at the secretive black tinamou, one of the world's least-known birds. A small group of researchers has tracked the bird in order to reveal new, unprecedented details about the creature.

The black tinamou is a chicken-sized bird that can be found in the foothills of the eastern Andes. There, it lives in tall, dense primary forest. It's extremely difficult to observe due to its secretive habitats and cryptic coloration. In order to get around these issues, the scientists set up camera traps and did daily censuses to record vocalizations.

"The most challenging part of the fieldwork was the four to six kilometer walk along the transect's steep trails each morning, from 800 to 1600 meters above sea level," said Pablo Negret, one of the researchers, in a news release. "However, these walks also gave me extraordinary moments like the observation of a Puma concolor along the trail or the moment when I had the chance to photograph the elusive Tinamus osgoodi after almost nine months of trying."

With their diligent observations, the scientists discovered that these birds likely breed in March and April and are most active in late morning. They eat primarily fallen fruit and seeds.

However, these birds may also be in danger. They live in an area where they are threatened by logging, cattle ranching and hunting.

"Tinamous are widespread in Central and South America, and yet we know very little about the ecology and general biology of most species," said Patricia Brennan, a tinamou expert from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "However, tinamous are ancient birds, with a combination of many unique traits that include male parental care, female communal egg laying, and some of the most beautiful and conspicuous eggs in nature."

The findings are published in the journal The Auk.

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).