BIRDS OF THE PANAMA CANAL ZONE 



tioned, several other wrens frequent the 

 shrubbery near houses; the rather light- 

 colored Panama Wren (Thryophilus modestus 

 elutus) with its cheerful, matter-of-fact song, 

 is the most common on the Pacific side; also 

 the Chestnut-backed Wren (Thryophilus ru- 

 falbus castanonotus) , whose fascinating and 

 haunting notes will long dwell in the memory 

 if once heard. One song of this wren, con- 

 sisting of flute-like phrases, is a completed 

 melody and should give him a high place 

 among the skilled songsters of America. 



The flycatchers constitute so large an ele- 

 ment of the Panama bird fauna and are so 

 noisy and conspicuous that they will prob- 

 ably outnumber all the other insectivorous 

 birds that will be noticed. The two Elaenias 

 (E. flavogaster subpagana and E. c. chiriquen- 

 sis), alike in their plain and unattractive 

 plumage, harsh notes and saucy habits, but 

 differing considerably in size, are ubiquitous, 

 occurring anywhere about habitations, pro- 

 vided there are a few trees. Usually their 

 loud, assertive, lisping whistle, starting with 

 a statement followed by an argument, will 

 attract one's attention to them. A King- 

 bird (Tyrannus melancholicus chloronotus) , 

 with a gray back and pale yellow underparts, 

 abounds in many parts of the Zone and in the 

 nearby islands of Panama Bay, preferring the 

 vicinity of water, as does the common King- 

 bird (Tyrannus tyrannus} of the United 

 States, often seen in Panama during migra- 

 tion. The Noble Flycatcher (Myiodynastes 

 maculatus nobilis), suggesting the Crested 

 Flycatcher of the United States in size and 

 8 



