The huayco tinamou has a black streaked and spotted head and neck.
Like other tinamous, the huayco tinamou eats fruit off the ground or low-lying bushes. They also eat small amounts of invertebrates, flower buds, tender leaves, seeds, and roots. The male incubates the eggs which may come from different females, and then will raise them until they are ready to be on their own. The nest is located on the ground in dense brush or between raised root buttresses.
