The Lesser Nothura is a small tinamou of dry grassland and scrub that moves quickly on the ground.
It has sandy plumage, a brown crown, and fine streaks on the back and throat.
It often stays hidden in grass and runs quickly across the ground when alone. Its whistle has a metallic quality.
In Emas National Park, Brazil, it uses grassland with scattered shrubs, small trees and termite mounds, among tall grasses and sedges.
When pursued, it sometimes hides in armadillo burrows.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.