Photo: Antonio Amaral
The Macuco is a bird belonging to the tinamou family, with the scientific name Tinamus solitarius. It is a species whose name originates from Tupi-Guarani, (mocoico erê) and Tupi (ma’kuku). It reaches up to 52 centimeters and weighs between 1.5 to 2.0 kilograms on average. Females are generally larger and heavier than males. There are reports of females weighing 2.5 kilograms, still below the females of Tinamus tao, the Great Tinamou of the Amazon, which reaches up to 3.0 kilograms. It has an overall grayish-green-olive hue, small linear black spots, and a cryptic pattern on the tail feathers (rectrices), in rusty-brown color. The neck has a longitudinal line of dirty beige.