FAMILY PODICIPEDIDAE 



29 



Immature, grayer colored, streaked with white on head and neck. 

 These markings may appear to resemble those of the immature 

 pied-billed grebe, but the bill in the present species is longer and 

 more slender, the depth at the base being one half or less the length. 



Iris light orange to yellow ; bill dark neutral gray to nearly black, 

 sometimes tipped lightly with yellowish white; tarsus and toes dull 

 black, varying in some to greenish neutral gray on front and inner 

 side of tarsus and on toes ; claws dusky neutral gray tipped narrowly 

 with grayish white. 



Fig. 6. — Least grebe, tigua, Podiceps dominicus brachypterus, with slender bill. 



Measurements. — Males (23 specimens), wing 85.5-93.8 (90.7), 

 exposed culmen 19.8-23.5 (21.7), tarsus 30.5-33.8 (32.8) mm. 



Females (26 specimens), wing 83.8-91.0 (87.4), exposed culmen 

 18.2-22.7 (21.1), tarsus 29.3-32.5 (30.9) mm. 



Resident. Locally common on fresh- water ponds and lakes through- 

 out the Republic, from coastal areas to 1,200 meters or more in the 

 mountains. 



Actual records are as follows: Chiriqui (lakes near El Volcan at 

 1,250 meters, pond at Palo Santo at 1,280 meters) ; Bocas del Toro 

 (Changuinola, Almirante) ; Veraguas (old records at Laguna de 

 Castillo, and Chitra) ; Los Santos (Pedasi) ; Herrera (Cienaga 

 Macana) ; Canal Zone (Gatun Lake, Gamboa, Juan Mina) ; Panama 

 (Rio La Jagua) ; Darien (La Laguna at 850 meters elevation on 

 base of Cerro Mali) ; Isla Coiba. 



