214 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA — PART 2 



areas, mainly in the lowlands, ranging to 1,600 meters in the mountains 

 in Chiriqui and to 600 meters in Darien. Present from mid-October to 

 late March. 



The following are available records : 



Chiriqui (Lerida, October 16, 1937; Divala, November and De- 

 cember 1900; Sereno, February 21, 1955; Bajo Mono, March 3, 

 1932; Boquete, March 10, 1901 ; El Volcan, March 29, 1954). 



Code (Anton, December 5, 1927). 



Canal Zone (Far fan Beach, October 27, 1953; Barro Colorado 

 Island, November 1931, January 16-19, 1964; at sea off Colon, Oc- 

 tober 30, 1927). 



Bocas del Toro ( Almirante, October 20, 1962) . 



Panama (Panama City, March 22, 191 1 ) . 



Darien (Rio Tacarcuna, 575 meters, March 9-16, 1964) ; Yaviza, 

 December 1, 1966 [P. L. Slattery] ). 



San Bias (Perme, November 3, 1929). 



Dr. Kenneth Parkes informs me that a specimen, now in the Carne- 

 gie Museum, reported as the present species by Aldrich (Scient. Publ. 

 Cleveland Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 7, 1937, p. 66) from Altos Cacao, 

 Veraguas, March 17, 1932, is Caprimulgus rufus minimus. 



The guabairo may be confused with the resident rufous goatsucker 

 of similar color pattern since both live mainly on the forest floor, and 

 usually are seen only as they flush and fly off on broad wings to hide 

 again in cover of undergrowth. The larger size of the present species, 

 however, usually is evident. It is strictly nocturnal, coming out in 

 open areas at dusk, and seeking cover again before the sun appears. 

 At Barro Colorado I have seen a guabairo in the dim light of early 

 dawn perched crosswise on the hand rail at the head of the stairway 

 leading to the boat landing. From this vantage point it flew out to 

 capture flying insects. At our camp on the Rio Tacarcuna, in the 

 foothills below Cerro Mali, one evening at dusk I saw a bird of fair 

 size fly into the high limbs of one of the tallest trees, where it perched 

 60 meters or so above the ground. I shot it, believing it to be a small 

 hawk so that it was a distinct surprise to find it was the present species. 

 A large cicada (identified later in our entomological laboratories as 

 Fidedicena picea Walker) was swarming in the tree crown. The bird 

 had the stomach crammed with 3 of these insects, 1 entire, and the 

 others merely broken in two. The bird was so heavy with greasy fat 

 that it required care to prepare as a specimen. During subsequent 

 evenings I saw guabairos regularly high up in the forest canopy, where 

 they made constant flights up into the higher branches. I was certain 



