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Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ... Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

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338 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM Tniiuyan, Mendoza, March 26 to 28. It is migrant and retreats northward in winter. These birds were found at the borders of groves where they sought commanding perches and watched for passing insects. Tliey were stolid and inactive save when in alert pursuit of prey. Occasionally one uttered a high-pitched, trilling call, and a wing-tipped bird gave staccato cries like those of otlier kingbirds, but ordinarily they were silent. When not hurried, their flight was of the fluttering type, common to other kingbirds, performed with short, rapid vibra- tions of the partly opened wings. The two summer skins preserved, in Avorn breeding plumage, in appearance are much darker than those secured in spring. One from Victorica in particular shows little greenish wash on the upper surface. A male, shot December 23, had the bill, tarsus, and toes black; iris natal brown. The Anguete Indians in the Paraguayan Chaco called this species Ta pah. MUSCIVORA TYRANNUS (Linnaeus) MuHcicuim Tyrannus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 325. (Cayenne.) Specimens of the fork-tailed flycatcher from Argentina appear somewhat darker on the back than the average of those from north- ern South America, Northern and southern forms niaj' not be separated with certainty on the basis of material at hand, as dark birds occur in the north in the small series seen. The (piestion is complicated by the extensive northward migration of the species from temperate areas into the Tropics, The species was widespread from spring until fall, and Avas noted as follows: Kilometer 80, Avest of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, September 6 to 27, 1920; Dolores, Buenos Aires, October 21; Lavalle, Buenos Aires, October 25 to NoA^ember 15; Santo Domingo, Buenos Aires, November 16; General Roca, Rio Negro, November 30; Carhue, Buenos Aires, December 17; Victorica, Pampa, December 23 to 28; Carrasco, Uruguay, January 9 and 16, 1921; La Paloma, Uruguay, January 23; San Vicente, Uruguay, January 25 to February 2; Lazcano, Uruguay, February 3 to 9; Rio Negro, Uruguay, February 14 to 19; Franklin, Buenos Aires, March 11. The three adult males and one female taken (Kilometer 80, Avest of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, September 9, Carhue, Buenos Aires, December 17, Victorica, Pampa, December 28, and San Vicente, Uruguay, January 30) offer no striking peculiarities. Two females in juA^enal plumage shot near Victorica, Pampa, December 28, are recently from the nest and have no suggestion of the long tail found in adults.

BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 339 The fork-tailed flycatcher was frequent throughout the open pampas, but was most abundant where there was scattered tree growth. In habits these birds resembled kingbirds. They in- variably sought perches in the open on fences, low bushes, or the tops of small trees, where they rested quietly. Though in appearance they suggested Muscivom forfcata. they were less noisy and active. Most of their notes were flat, with little carrying power against the force of the pampan winds. The call of young re- cently from the nest was a low tsip that suggested a note of Brachyspiza, while adults uttered an explosive call note, somewhat flat in tone, A'liried by a staccato rattle when tilting among them- selves or in pursuit of other birds. Hawks and other large birds were attacked viciously, and the flycatchers frequently darted out at any bird that passed too near. Fall migration among fork-tailed flycatchers began by the first of Februar}'. On February 2, while passing through a region of rolling hills north of San Vicente, Uruguay, I recorded at least 2,000, many of them young with partly grown tails. The birds were found in small flocks, and were spread along wire fences for a distance of several miles. B}^ Februarj^ 9 they had lessened in abundance but continued common in Uruguay until February 19. Throughout this period they were obviously traveling north- ward. Shortly after daybreak on Februarj' 18, near Lazcano, a band of 16 individuals paused to rest for a few minutes in bushes bordering a lagoon, and then, in straggling formation, passed on to the northeast. On March 2 occasional individuals were recorded from a train, from the suburbs of Buenos Aires as far south as 25 de Mayo in the Province of Buenos Aires, but none were seen beyond that point. The last one recorded was observed from a train near Franklin, Buenos Aires, on March 11. The species is known universally as tiierita. Family PHYTOTOMIDAE PHYTOTOMA RUTILA Vieillot Phytotoma nttila Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 26, 1818, p. 64. (Paraguay.) During winter, near Las Palmas, Chaco (July 26 and 31, 1920), this strange bird was found in small flocks in bush-grown pastures, and occasional individuals were recorded at the Riacho Pilaga, Formosa (August 14, 18, and 21). Near Las Palmas a pair of adult birds was secured July 26. The species seemed irregular in its occurrence in the Chaco region, and may have been only a winter visitant. The birds were found quietly at rest on the tops of low bushes, with crest erect, and were usualty difficult to approach. The

338 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM<br />

Tniiuyan, Mendoza, March 26 to 28. It is migrant and retreats<br />

northward in winter.<br />

These birds were found at the borders of groves where they sought<br />

commanding perches and watched for pas<strong>si</strong>ng insects. Tliey were<br />

stolid and inactive save when in alert pursuit of prey. Occa<strong>si</strong>onally<br />

one uttered a high-pitched, trilling call, and a wing-tipped bird<br />

gave staccato cries like those of otlier kingbirds, but ordinarily they<br />

were <strong>si</strong>lent. When not hurried, their flight was of the fluttering<br />

type, common to other kingbirds, performed with short, rapid vibra-<br />

tions of the partly opened wings.<br />

The two summer skins preserved, in Avorn breeding plumage, in<br />

appearance are much darker than those secured in spring. One<br />

from Victorica in particular shows little greenish wash on the upper<br />

surface. A male, shot December 23, had the bill, tarsus, and toes<br />

black; iris natal brown.<br />

The Anguete Indians in the Paraguayan Chaco called this species<br />

Ta pah.<br />

MUSCIVORA TYRANNUS (Linnaeus)<br />

MuHcicuim Tyrannus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 325.<br />

(Cayenne.)<br />

Specimens of the fork-tailed flycatcher from Argentina appear<br />

somewhat darker on the back than the average of those from north-<br />

ern South America, Northern and southern forms niaj' not be<br />

separated with certainty on the ba<strong>si</strong>s of material at hand, as dark<br />

birds occur in the north in the small series seen. The (piestion is<br />

complicated by the exten<strong>si</strong>ve northward migration of the species<br />

from temperate areas into the Tropics,<br />

The species was widespread from spring until fall, and Avas<br />

noted as follows: Kilometer 80, Avest of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay,<br />

September 6 to 27, 1920; Dolores, Buenos Aires, October 21; Lavalle,<br />

Buenos Aires, October 25 to NoA^ember 15; Santo Domingo,<br />

Buenos Aires, November 16; General Roca, Rio Negro, November<br />

30; Carhue, Buenos Aires, December 17; Victorica, Pampa, December<br />

23 to 28; Carrasco, Uruguay, January 9 and 16, 1921; La<br />

Paloma, Uruguay, January 23; San Vicente, Uruguay, January<br />

25 to February 2; Lazcano, Uruguay, February 3 to 9; Rio Negro,<br />

Uruguay, February 14 to 19; Franklin, Buenos Aires, March 11.<br />

The three adult males and one female taken (Kilometer 80, Avest of<br />

Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, September 9, Carhue, Buenos Aires,<br />

December 17, Victorica, Pampa, December 28, and San Vicente,<br />

Uruguay, January 30) offer no striking peculiarities. Two females<br />

in juA^enal plumage shot near Victorica, Pampa, December<br />

28, are recently from the nest and have no suggestion of the long<br />

tail found in adults.

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