FAMILY MOMOTIDAE 449 



light olive-green, more or less washed with cinnamon on sides, to 

 dull rufous-cinnamon ; an elongate spot of black, bordered with 

 greenish blue, on center of upper breast. 



The blue-crowned motmots as a group range widely from Mexico 

 through Central America and northern and eastern South America 

 to northern Argentina. Currently all are grouped under the name 

 Momotus momota, with numerous populations recognized as sub- 

 species. Two of these are found in the Isthmus of Panama, one in 

 the west, and one in the east. The two are so distinct in general 

 coloration that they are easily separable when examined in the hand, 

 but in life in the subdued light of their usual forest habitat these 

 differences generally are not evident. 



Locally in Panama the two larger species of motmot are called 

 juro, or sometimes barranqnero, without recognition that they are 

 distinct. Many persons believe that they are owls (btihos), from 

 their soft call notes. 



MOMOTUS MOMOTA LESSONII Lesson 



Momotus momota lessonii Lesson, Rev. Zool., vol. 5, June 1842, p. 174. (Realejo, 

 Nicaragua.) 



Characters. — Throat, lower breast, and abdomen distinctly light 

 green ; under wing coverts grayish to slightly dull greenish buff, 

 occasionally indistinctly banded with pale cinnamon-buff; somewhat 

 larger. 



A female, taken on the Rio Guanico, at Las Palmitas, Los Santos, 

 January 21, 1962, had the iris dull red; base of gonys and lower 

 edge of rami dull brownish white; rest of bill black; tarsus fuscous; 

 toes fuscous-black ; claws black. 



Measurements. — Males (31 from Chiriqui, Veraguas, Los Santos, 

 and Herrera), wing 130.8-141.6 (136.7), tail 211-245 (226.5), oil- 

 men from base 41.3-48.6 (46.1), tarsus 27.6-31.1 (29.4) mm. 



Females (23 from Chiriqui, Veraguas, Los Santos, and Herrera), 

 wing 130.2-140.0 (134.9), tail 205-227 (217.5), culmen from base 

 41.0-47.4 (44.4), tarsus 28.0-31.4 (29.4) mm. 



Resident. Locally common on the Pacific slope in Chiriqui, Vera- 

 guas, Los Santos, and Herrera, from sea level in the lowlands to 

 1,825 meters on Volcan de Chiriqui. 



It is probable that 2 motmots that I saw but did not collect on 

 the higher slopes at El Valle in eastern Code on April 1, 1951, and 

 June 22, 1953, were this race, but occurrence of the species Momotus 

 momota in that area needs verification. 



