80 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I50 



ARDEA HERODIAS Linnaeus: Great Blue Heron; Garzon Cenizo 



The common, widespread species of the two largest of the herons 

 found in Panama, marked by gray coloration. 



Description. — A meter to a meter 3 centimeters in length. Adult, 

 with throat and crown white, the latter bordered with black, and 

 with an elongated crest; neck gray, streaked with black and white; 

 gray above ; streaked with black and white below ; feathers of 

 tibia rufous brown to light clay color. 



Immature, duller in color, with crown black, without white head 

 plumes. 



The garzon ceniso is found in Panama in fair numbers during 

 the period of northern winter, and a few are present during the 

 rest of the year. While the majority are northern migrants, some 

 of the specimens available are separable, on the basis of darker 

 dorsal coloration, as another subspecies, which is presumed to be 

 resident, though there is no nesting colony known at present. 



Great blue herons are wary birds that keep alert watch and only 

 by chance allow close approach. When ponds formed during the 

 rains begin to evaporate with the clear weather of the dry season, so 

 that small fish are concentrated in shallows, a dozen or more of 

 these herons may gather in fairly close proximity, but it is more 

 usual to find solitary birds. Many of the migrant individuals that 

 come in the period of northern winter appear to wander, while 

 others find suitable habitat and remain in the same area for con- 

 siderable periods of time. 



ARDEA HERODIAS HERODIAS Linnaeus 



Ardea Herodias Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 143. (Northeastern 

 Manitoba.) 



Characters. — Lighter gray above. 



Common visitor from the north. Present regularly from Septem- 

 ber to April throughout the lowlands around the larger streams and 

 other bodies of fresh water, ranging inland in Chiriqui to 1,200 to 

 1,500 meters elevation near El Volcan and Boquete; found also 

 along beaches and in mangroves in coastal areas, including the larger 

 islands : Isla Coiba ; Isla Taboga ; Isla San Jose. 



Measurements (from Oberholser, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 43, 

 1912, p. 535).— Males (10 specimens), wing 441-480 (462.7), tail 

 167-187 (176.6), exposed culmen 123-151.5 (139.5), tarsus 167- 

 205 (183.6) mm. 



Females (12 specimens), wing 433-471 (451.2), tail 159-184 



