How to check if an image has 2 bytes per pixel and how to convert it to an image with 1 byte per pixel?

I have thermal images from FLIR camera that has 2 bytes per pixel. I am not sure how I could check in Ubuntu if these images have 2 bytes per pixel or not.

Also, how can I convert a 2 byte per pixel image to a 1 byte per pixel image?

$ exiv2 frame0171.tiff
File name       : frame0171.tiff
File size       : 4194510 Bytes
MIME type       : image/tiff
Image size      : 1024 x 1024
Camera make     : 
Camera model    : 
Image timestamp : 
Image number    : 
Exposure time   : 
Aperture        : 
Exposure bias   : 
Flash           : 
Flash bias      : 
Focal length    : 
Subject distance: 
ISO speed       : 
Exposure mode   : 
Metering mode   : 
Macro mode      : 
Image quality   : 
Exif Resolution : 1024 x 1024
White balance   : 
Thumbnail       : None
Copyright       : 
Exif comment    : 


$ file frame0171.tiff
frame0171.tiff: TIFF image data, little-endian, direntries=14, height=1024, bps=182, compression=none, PhotometricIntepretation=RGB, width=1024


$ exiv2 Rec-000026_16bit_counts.tif
File name       : Rec-000026_16bit_counts.tif
File size       : 2097433 Bytes
MIME type       : 
Image size      : 0 x 0
Rec-000026_16bit_counts.tif: No Exif data found in the file

$ file Rec-000026_16bit_counts.tif
Rec-000026_16bit_counts.tif: Big TIFF image data, little-endian


$ exiv2 Rec-000026_tiff.tif
File name       : Rec-000026_tiff.tif
File size       : 1816013 Bytes
MIME type       : image/tiff
Image size      : 778 x 778
Camera make     : 
Camera model    : 
Image timestamp : 
Image number    : 
Exposure time   : 
Aperture        : 
Exposure bias   : 
Flash           : 
Flash bias      : 
Focal length    : 
Subject distance: 
ISO speed       : 
Exposure mode   : 
Metering mode   : 
Macro mode      : 
Image quality   : 
Exif Resolution : 778 x 778
White balance   : 
Thumbnail       : None
Copyright       : 
Exif comment    : 

$ file Rec-000026_tiff.tif
Rec-000026_tiff.tif: TIFF image data, little-endian