430 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 2 



These small kingfishers, most common and most widely distributed 

 of their family in Panama, are found singly or in pairs along smaller 

 streams and quebradas, often far inland along narrow channels where 

 branches of the trees and lower growth join overhead. On the 

 larger rivers they frequent the shoreline. They are found less com- 

 monly in mangrove swamps, and occasionally appear on rocky sea 

 beaches where fresh water is near at hand. In early morning they 

 may come out in the sun on snags or projecting points of boulders, 

 but later in the day it is more usual for them to rest in shade. Their 

 regular flights are low over the water, following the course of little 

 streams, perhaps cutting across low-banked bends, but never crossing 

 boldly high against the sky like their larger cousins. In their more 

 shaded haunts only the flashing of the white base of the tail feathers 

 and of the underparts as they turn allows the eye to follow them, 

 since the dark upper surface of the body against the equally dark 

 background renders them otherwise invisible. 



When perched, at intervals the tail tip is twitched upward, and 

 when near the top of this movement the neck is elongated and the 

 head rises. The combination of these movements often is regular, 

 and as amusing to the human eye as the operation of some mechanical 

 toy. 



Their chirping, chattering calls, low in tone, sometimes have seemed 

 almost like those of some finch. 



The nesting season extends from January to April. At Mandinga, 

 San Bias, I noted a young bird recently from the nest, on January 

 31. And on the upper Rio Jaque, Darien, a Choco man brought me a 

 fledgling, not yet able to fly, on April 6. Laying females were 

 collected at Boca de Paya, Darien, March 5, and on the Rio Pacora, 

 Panama, on April 6. On the Rio Chiman, on March 15 , 1950, I saw 

 one pair in an interesting display in which the male hovered back 

 and forth to examine the face of the low earthen stream bank, while 

 the female, perched on a snag over the water a few meters away, at 

 intervals raised her pointed wings high above her back, while calling 

 spiritedly. 



Alexander Skutch (in Bent, U.S. Nat Mus. Bull. 176, 1940, pp. 

 142-143) describes the size of the opening of the nest burrow as 

 "only 2 or 2\ inches in horizontal diameter," (equivalent to a little 

 more than 5 to less than 6 centimeters). The burrow often is con- 

 cealed beneath vegetation hanging from above, or partly hidden 

 in some other manner. Male and female share the duties of incu- 

 bation. No eggs of the race of this kingfisher found in Panama 



