[4] The red-legged tinamou is superficially similar to a quail to which it is not related as it, along with other tinamous, belongs in the Paleognathae.

Its brownish upper parts and grey chest contrasts clearly with the buff belly.

Little is known about its breeding behavior, but the glossy eggs are pale greyish-lavender with a variable amount of pink suffusion.

The SACC rejected a proposal to elevate these to species status, arguing that the presently available data fail to support the split.

[7] The red-legged tinamou lives in Guyana, Suriname, Colombia, Venezuela and northeastern Brazil, and on Margarita Island.