FAMILY CAPRI MULGIDAE 209 



northern Mexico and southern Texas through Central America and 

 the tropical and subtropical areas of South America to northern 

 Argentina (Entre Rios and Misiones) and southern Brazil (Rio 

 Grande do Sul). Two subspecies are found in Panama. 



While a usual name for the species in Panama is capacho, a Spanish 

 Americanism that signifies a night-bird, in the savannas east of 

 Panama and in Darien these birds are known as buhio, in imitation of 

 their call. At Almirante some called them "gim-me-bit," obviously a 

 term imported from Jamaica, where it is applied to another species of 

 the family, the local nighthawk. 



NYCTIDROMUS ALBICOLLIS GILVUS Bangs 



Nyctidromus albicollis gilvus Bangs, Proc. New England Zool. Club, vol. 3, 

 March 31, 1902, p. 82. ("Santa Marta" = Bonda, Magdalena, Colombia.) 



Characters. — Averaging slightly paler in color than A r . a. interce- 

 dens, and also somewhat smaller (though there is broad overlap in 

 size) ; bill usually slightly smaller in bulk (though many appear equal). 



Males, taken in 1965, on Isla Gobernadora, Veraguas, January 8, 

 and near El Volcan, Chiriqui, March 1, had the iris mouse brown to 

 dark mouse brown; thickened margin of eyelid dull brownish yellow; 

 basal area of bill, including the nasal tubules, dull fuscous ; tip black ; 

 tarsus mouse brown ; toes dull brown to black ; claws fuscous to black. 



Measurements. — Males (28 from Panama), wing 143-154 (149.1), 

 tail 130-145 (136.2), tarsus 22.6-25.4 (23.9) mm. 



Females (22 from Panama), wing 138-155 (145.0), tail 120-136 

 (127.4), tarsus 22.0-25.5 (23.9) mm. 



While the mouth opening is large, the culmen is too short (7 mm. 

 or less) in these birds to afford useful measurements. Tail measure- 

 ments are variable as the ends of the feathers are subject to much wear 

 in this ground-dwelling bird. 



Resident. Common, widely distributed throughout the Isthmus from 

 the coastal lowlands to 1,800 meters elevation in the mountains in 

 Chiriqui, and to high elevations through the mountain areas elsewhere. 

 Less abundant in regions of dense rain forest than in more open areas. 

 Isla Gobernadora, Isla Cebaco; Archipielago de las Perlas (Isla del 

 Rey, Isla San Jose, Isla Pedro Gonzalez) . 



This is a nocturnal species, usually known and recorded from its 

 call notes, heard regularly from dusk to dawn. In daytime the birds 

 remain secluded on the ground in thickets or in forest areas, usually 

 where a few square meters are fairly clear and open. When startled 

 they rise from the resting place, dart away with silent, erratic flight 



