FAMILY THRESKIORNITHIDAE I27 



Description. — Length 710-760 mm. Head and neck white, with 

 crown and lower f oreneck brownish buff ; back dark gray ; wings 

 black with a large white patch across the center ; coverts light gray ; 

 below, including underside of wings and tail, black. 



In specimens of the closely similar subspecies Theristictts c. 

 hyperorius Todd that I collected in Paraguay I recorded the colors 

 of the soft parts as follows: Iris light red; bill and bare skin on 

 head dull black, except for lower eyelid which was pale purplish blue ; 

 tarsus dull red, somewhat paler on toes ; claws dull black. 



Measurements. — Males (4 from Colombia), wing 385-394 (391), 

 tail 193-203 (198.7), culmen from base 131-149 (143.5), tarsus 

 80.0-83.3 (81.5) mm. 



Females (2 from Colombia), wing 383, 387, tail 190, 197, culmen 

 from base 130.6-141.0, tarsus 77.1, 78.6 mm. 



Casual wanderer from South America : One record, near Pacora, 

 Panama. 



The species ranges from Colombia and Venezuela to northern 

 Argentina. 



Through Karl Curtis the U. S. National Museum has received one 

 of these birds killed by Baldomiro Moreno, September 18, 1950, from 

 a flock of four on the savannas near San Jose, beyond Pacora. The 

 specimen was roughly skinned by Baldomiro, and was prepared for 

 me by Ratibor Hartmann, of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory. The 

 record is the first for Central America. Another was reported to me 

 by Baldomiro as seen on the same savanna in November, 1958. 



AJAIA AJAJA (Linnaeus) : Roseate Spoonbill; Garza Paleta 



Figure 21 



Platalea Ajaja Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 17S8, p. 140. (Rio Sao 

 Francisco, eastern Brazil) 



An ibislike species, with flattened bill, broadly expanded at the tip. 



Description. — Length 710 to 810 mm. Bill broad, flat, expanded 

 at the tip. Adult, pink, with lesser wing coverts and tail coverts Hght 

 red ; crown bare. 



Immature, whiter ; crown feathered, except on the forehead. 



Measurements. — Males (5 from Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, 

 and Argentina), wing 347-365 (353.4), tail 93.0-101.5 (95.1), culmen 

 from base 156-173 (167.4), tarsus 106.6-111.6 (108.7) mm. 



Females (4 from Florida, Louisiana, Colombia and Argentina), 

 wing 332-357, tail 86.8-97.6 (93.4), culmen from base 150-177 

 (158.7), tarsus 96.5-116.6 (103.8) mm. 



