FAMILY CUCULIDAE II3 



COCCY2US AMERICANUS OCCIDENTALIS Ridgway 



Coccyzus americanus occidentalis Ridgway, Man. North Amer. Birds, September 

 1887, p. 273. (Old Fort Crittenden, east base of Santa Rita Mountains, 

 Arizona.) 



Characters. — Slightly grayer brown on the entire dorsal surface, 

 including the tail ; crown especially grayer ; average size slightly 

 larger, but with much overlap with the eastern race. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from western United States and 

 northern Chihuahua), wing 141.8-150.0 (145.7), tail 135.5-148.4 

 (140.5), culmen from base 26.1-30.4 (28.4), tarsus 25.2-28.2 (27.1) 

 mm. 



Females (10 from western United States), wing 143.5-154.8 

 (150.5), tail 139.2-150.3 (144.3), culmen from base 27.0-30.4 (29.0), 

 tarsus 26.0-28.5 (27.3) mm. 



Migrant from the north. Rare; 2 records only. 



On April 20, 1949, near Chepo, I shot a female of this race. As 

 noted under C. a. americanus there was a migration flight of yellow- 

 billed cuckoos on the day in question, another taken being a female 

 of the eastern subspecies. There is another specimen, a male, in the 

 American Museum of Natural History, collected by R. R. Benson 

 at Cocoplum, Bocas del Toro, October 28, 1927. 



The western form without question passes through Panama to 

 a winter home in South America. Its total population of individuals 

 is far less than that of C. a. americanus so relatively few have been 

 recorded outside the breeding range. We have 2 other specimens in 

 recent collections from Colombia, 1 from Villa Artiaga, Antioquia, 

 shot April 27, 1950, and 1 from Simiti, Bolivar, collected March 30, 

 1947, both by M. A. Carriker, Jr. These appear to be the first records 

 for that country. 



COCCYZUS MINOR PALLORIS Ridgway: Mangrove Cuckoo, 

 Cuclillo de Manglar 



Coccyzus minor palloris Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 28, May 27, 



1915, p. 105. (Pigres, Costa Rica.) 

 Coccyzus minor continentalis van Rossem, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zodl., vol. 77, 



December 1934, p. 389. (Volcan de Santa Ana, 4500 feet, Sonsonate, El 



Salvador.) 



Generally similar to the migrant yellow-billed cuckoo, but with a 

 prominent black band from beneath the eye over the ear region. 



Description. — Length 280-310 mm. Adult (sexes alike), above, 

 including the central tail feathers, grayish brown, usually grayer on 

 the head, especially on the forehead ; a dull black line below the eye, 



