NORTHERN SMALL-BILLED WATERTHRUSH 485 



thrushes) , is seen far more often than the Louisiana waterthrush. It 

 occurs as an abundant spring and fall transient, and as a not very 

 abundant winter resident. As a bird of passage, it is found in both 

 spring and fall on both sides of the Cordillera, while in the highlands 

 I have met it as high as 10,600 feet. As a winter resident, it is most 

 abundant in the Caribbean lowlands, but has been recorded in mid- 

 winter in the Pacific lowlands. It arrives in Central America in 

 August or September, and remains until April or May, late stragglers 

 sometimes delaying until May 30. 



"Like its relatives, the Louisiana waterthrush and the ovenbird, the 

 northern waterthrush leads a solitary existence in its winter home. 

 Most often seen foraging along the shores of streams and lagoons, but 

 it is by no means confined to the immediate vicinity of water, for in 

 the Central American lowlands it will occasionally be found walking 

 sedately through a banana plantation or an orchard where the ground 

 is moist and not too encumbered with weeds, or on the bare ground 

 about houses where all is quiet, or even over shady lawns, flicking 

 fallen leaves aside with its bill. But although it will at times venture 

 so close to the habitations of man, it is not for that reason at ease in 

 his presence, and is always ready to fly when the inmates of the dwell- 

 ing show themselves. On the Island of Jamaica, in December, 1930, 

 I found northern waterthrushes abundant in the swamps of black man- 

 grove {Avicennia nitida) along the south coast, where the naked 

 muddy ground was covered with shallow water. Doubtless they 

 haunt similar situations in Central America. 



"Early dates of fall arrival in Central America are : Guatemala — 

 Sierra Cuchumatanes, 10,600 feet, September 15, 1934. Honduras — 

 Tela, October 5, 1930. Costa Rica — San Jose (Cherrie), September 

 14; Escazu (Carriker), August 13, 1902; Basin of El General, October 

 18, 1936. 



"Late dates of spring departure from Central America are: Pan- 

 ama — Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone, April 12, 1935. Costa 

 Rica— El Pozo de Terraba (Underwood), April 8, 1906; Basin of El 

 General, April 23, 1936, April 27, 1939, April 17, 1940, and April 11, 

 1942; San Jose (Cherrie), May 21 and May 30. Honduras— Tela, 

 May 9, 1930. Guatemala— Sierra de Tecpan, 8,500 feet, April 27, 

 1933 ; Motagua Valley, near Los Amates, May 18, 1932 ; Finca Sepa- 

 cuite (Griscom), May 22." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — North America, the West Indies, and northern South 

 America. 

 Breeding range. — ^The waterthrush breeds north to north-central 



Alaska (valleys of the Kobuk and Yukon Rivers) ; northern Yukon 



981873—53 32 



