FAMILY PELECANIDAE 5 1 



1931, p. 295), who described this race of tropicbird from specimens 

 from this island, was not able to find it on maps available to him, 

 and wrote that it "is said to lie between Isla Bastimentos and Isla 

 Popa," which are two of the islands on the eastern boundary of 

 Almirante Bay. The true location is given in the reference to the 

 original description above. 



The red-billed tropicbird is reported to nest on Isla Malpelo, in the 

 Pacific Ocean off Colombia, but apparently does not wander ex- 

 tensively. The only record for the Gulf of Panama is one seen by 

 Dennis R. Paulson on September 7, 1961, when traveling on the 

 yacht Argosy between Balboa and the Pearl Islands. 



(The statement by Loye Miller (Condor, 1937, p. 16), that "a 

 single yellow-billed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) was seen on the 

 Caribbean coast" between the Canal and the Chiriqui Lagoon, with- 

 out much question refers to the present species.) 



Family PELECANIDAE : Pelicans ; Pelicanos 



The eight species of pelicans, world wide in distribution through 

 temperate and tropical regions, are heavy-bodied birds, with long 

 bills that support bare throat pouches, used as scoops in capturing 

 their food of fish. While some frequent fresh water for part of 

 the year, the brown pelican, the only species that reaches Panama, is 

 confined to a salt or brackish-water habitat. 



The American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmelin, 

 has been listed as reaching Panama in its winter wanderings south- 

 ward, but this is in error, as the bird is not recorded in Central 

 America beyond Guatemala. (See Hellmayr and Conover, Cat. Birds 

 Amer., pt. 1, no. 2, 1948, p. 116). 



PELECANUS OCCIDENTALIS CAROLINENSIS Gmelin; Brown Pelican; 



Alcatraz 



FlGtTRE 10 



Pelecanus carolinettsis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 571. (Charles- 

 ton Harbor, South Carolina.) 



Large, with a huge pouch, bare of feathers, that extends from 

 the upper foreneck to the end of the long bill. 



Description. — Length 1.2 to 1.4 meters. Adult, upper surface, in- 

 cluding wings, gray; under surface grayish brown; head white. In 

 breeding dress, the hind neck is very dark brown with a line of 

 white on either side ; in winter the neck is entirely white. 



