252 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



abundant winter visitant and migrant in the Arid Lower Tropical and locally in 

 the Arid Upper Tropical Zones [in El Salvador]. Although observed as high 

 as 3,600 feet, its metropolis is along the seacoast. * * * 



At Puerto del Triunfo hundreds of these nighthawks appeared shortly after 

 sundown over the tide flats in front of the town, on first appearance flying at 

 some height toward the simset and later, In the dusk, flying in the opposite 

 direction and close to the water and mud. After real darkness had set in they 

 were found on the ground, most frequently in open, sandy places such as corn- 

 fields. The visibility on sandy gi'ound is, of course, much better than on leaf 

 mold or similar dark surfaces, and it may well be that this species has not so 

 good a nocturnal vision as have some of the other Caprimulgidae. The eyes of 

 texensis reflect pale, dull green and not the bright red of most members of the 

 family. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central and 

 South America ; casual in Colorado. 



Breeding range. — The breeding range of the Texas nighthawk 

 extends north to central California (Eed Bluif, Dales, and Grass 

 Valley) ; southern Nevada (Fish Lake and Oasis Valley) ; southern 

 Utah (St. George) ; east-central Arizona (Fort Verde and the Salt 

 River Reservation) ; southern New Mexico (Cuchillo, Socorro, and 

 Lake wood) ; and southern Texas (Pecos, probably Kerrville, and 

 Somerset). East to Texas (Somerset, probably Corpus Christi, and 

 Brownsville) ; Tamaulipas (Jaumave) ; Campeche (Campeche) ; 

 northeastern Colombia (Turbaco and Rio Hacha) ; Venezuela (Alta- 

 gracia and Guarico) ; French Guiana (Cayenne) ; and eastern Brazil 

 (Banaos, Barra, and Rio de Janerio). South to southeastern Brazil 

 (Rio de Janeiro) ; and southern Peru (Santa Lucia). West to 

 Peru (Santa Lucia and Tmnbez) ; western Colombia (Rio San 

 Juan) ; Guerrero (Chilpancingo and Coy oca) ; Nayarit (Acaponeta) ; 

 southern Sinaloa (Rosario) ; Baja California (Triunfo, Espirito 

 Santo Island, and Santo Tomas) ; and California (Santa Barbara 

 Island, Winslow, Paicines, Gilroy, Coyote, and Red Bluff). 



The range as above outlined is for the entire species, which has been 

 separated into several subspecies, all but one of which are found south 

 of the Mexican border. This race, the Texas nighthawk {C. a. 

 texensis) , breeds south to south-central Mexico and winters from that 

 point south to Panama and Colombia. The San Lucas nighthawk 

 {C. a. inferior) is found in the southern part of the peninsula of Baja 

 California. 



Winter range. — It appears that at least some of the Central and 

 South American races are nonmigratory, which, without extensive 

 collections, makes it difficult to outline the winter range of the form 

 occurring in the United States. Nevertheless, the winter range of 

 texensis may be said to extend north to southern Sinaloa (Escuin- 

 apa) ; Michoacan (Lake Patzcuaro) ; and southern Veracruz (Ori- 



