40 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 3 



wing 119.8-125.6 (122.2), tail 85.8-96.5 (91.2), culmen from base 

 38.4-40.5 (39.4), tarsus 23.0-24.8 (24.1) mm. 



Females (10 from eastern Province of Panama), wing 112.0-118.7 

 (115.3), tail 82.9-90.5 (87.2), culmen from base 34.9-39.6 (37.5), 

 tarsus 22.8-24.0 (23.3) mm. 



Resident. Common in Tropical Zone forests ; on the Pacific side 

 from western Chiriqui and Veraguas (Santa Fe), eastward in suit- 

 able terrain through Darien ; on the Caribbean side from the Rio 

 Sixaola on the Costa Rican boundary, through Bocas del Toro and 

 northern Veraguas (Rio Calovevora), northern Code (head of Rio 

 Guabal), and the Canal Zone, to Puerto Obaldia, San Bias; to 750 

 meters on Cerro Azul, 600 meters on Cerro Pirre, and 575 meters on 

 Cerro Tacarcuna. 



On the Pacific slope it has been reported frequently in western 

 Chiriqui (Puerto Armuelles, Divala, Bugaba, Bibalaz). Salvin 

 (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867, p. 144) recorded a specimen in 

 collections received from Arce from "Santiago de Veragua." The 

 bird, dated 1864, marked as a male but with no other data except 

 the locality, is now in the British Museum. The locality may be 

 open to question, as this is the only record for this lowland area. In 

 recent years it has been noted from Barro Colorado Island, near 

 Gamboa, Pina, and on Cerro Azul. 



These are strong-bodied birds, distinctly more robust than the 

 buff-throated woodcreeper of the same genus, in life as well as when 

 in the hand. They are definitely birds of the forest, seen mainly on 

 tree trunks and larger branches, most commonly high above the 

 ground, though regularly lower down. Occasionally they range in 

 the shoreward margin of tall mangroves. In climbing they move 

 steadily upward, usually jerkily in rather long hitches, often with the 

 feet widely apart and the body swinging from side to side. As they 

 advance, they peck at the bark, pull off dry scales, and examine 

 bits of moss to peer quickly underneath. I have seen them searching 

 over old wasp nests, and rarely flying out a meter or so to capture an 

 insect on the wing. Once, one picked some object from a dead tree 

 trunk, tossed it up in the air, caught it expertly, and then swallowed 

 it. Usually they range alone, but rarely may move about in company 

 with scattered bands of smaller forest birds. Stomachs that I have 

 examined have held broken bits of small beetles, orthoptera, ants, 

 hemiptera, moths, and spiders. 



The call is a repetition of a single rather high-pitched note, a 



