About Eudromia elegans I.Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1832
The elegant-crested tinamou (Eudromia elegans I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1832) is a partridge-shaped bird with rounded wings. Its base plumage is olive-brown, marked with extensive black and white vermiculations. It has a long off-white stripe that starts above the eye and runs down the side of the neck. Its short beak ends in a sharp, upright point, and its short, strong legs and feet are adapted for running; both the legs and feet are whitish-grey. Adults of the species average 39 to 41 cm (15–16 in) in length. Elegant-crested tinamous form flocks of around 5 to 10 birds, and they are most often detected by their whistle calls.
This species avoids tall, dense grasses and very thick stands of brush. Its preferred habitats include dry arid grasslands, open thicket, dry savanna, exposed hills with outlying patches of bushes, and cultivated farmlands. It occurs across a wide elevation range, from sea level up to 2,500 m (8,200 ft), and is native throughout Argentina and Chile. In 1970, an attempted introduction of 89 individuals near Benkelman, Nebraska was unsuccessful.
