FAMILY TURDIDAE 



129 



The clear flutelike phrases of some of Panama's nightingale-thrushes 

 are among the most beautiful songs produced by any bird. The night- 

 ingale-thrushes are highland birds, found mainly in the west. They 

 nest on or near the ground. Like the robins, their diet usually is mostly 

 fruit or animal matter. 



The solitaires, Myadcstcs, have long been considered part of the 

 thrush family (Ripley, Check-list Birds World, 1964, p. 89), but recent 

 evidence assembled by Sibley (Auk, 1973, p. 408) and Ames (Bonn. 

 Zool. Beitr., vol. 26, 1975, p. 127) suggests that they are more closely 

 related to the silky flycatchers, Ptilogonatidae. I have followed their 

 recommendations in including Myadestes in the Ptilogonatidae and 

 placing that family next to the Turdidae. 



KEY TO SPECIES OF TURDIDAE 



1. Smaller, less than 180 mm 2 



Larger, more than 190 mm 10 



2. Undersurface spotted 3 



Undersurf ace unspotted 6 



3. Spotting extensive, from throat to abdomen. 



Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina. p. 143 



Spotting restricted to throat and upper chest 4 



4. Eye-ring distinct. 



Swainson's Thrush, Catharus ustulatus. p. 144 



Eye-ring indistinct or absent 5 



5. Spotted area of upper chest washed with cinnamon-buff. 



Veery, Catharus fuscescens. p. 149 



Spotted area of upper chest whitish. 



Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus, p. 148 



6. Back blackish-gray. 



Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush, Catharus f us cater, p. 154 



Back brown 7 



7. Crown brown or black 8 



Crown gray 9 



8. Crown brown. 



Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, Catharus frantzii wetmorei. p. 158 

 Crown black. 



Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush, Catharus mexicanus fumosus. p. 152 



9. Chest with greenish-brown band. 



Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Catharus gracilirostris. p. 163 



Chest gray. 



Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush. Catharus aurantiirostris. p. 160 

 10. Throat boldly striped dusky and white, upper chest white. 



White-throated Robin, Turdus albicollis. p. 130 

 Throat striped indistinctly or not at all 11 



