I96 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 4 



Family PLOCEIDAE: Weaver Finches, Pinzones Tejedores 



[PASSER DOMESTICUS (Linnaeus): House Sparrow, Gordon Ingles 



Fringilla domestica Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 183. (Sweden.) 



Up to about 20 House Sparrows were seen in downtown David, 

 Chiriqui, in February and March of 1976 by C. Myers and Ridgely 

 {in litt.); these appear to be established. Since at least March 1979 

 small numbers have also been found breeding in Panama City, but as of 

 1982 the population had declined (Ridgely, pers. comm.). On April 

 29, 1980, Ridgely saw 3 at Changuinola, Boas del Toro. It is not cer- 

 tain whether these birds are the result of local introductions or a spread 

 from Costa Rica, where the population is slowly increasing.] 



Family STURNIDAE: Starlings, Estorninos 



[STURNUS VULGARIS Linnaeus: Common Starling, Estornino 



Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, p. 167. (Sweden.) 



A single individual was seen at Albrook Air Force Base, Canal Zone, 

 on February 10-12, 1979, by J. and R. A. Rowlett (Ridgely, in litt.). 

 This individual was probably released.] 



Family VIREONIDAE: Vireos, Peppershrikes, Shrike-Vireos, 

 Vireos y Folia jeros 



The Vireonidae is a strictly New World family that reaches its 

 greatest diversity in the tropics but includes migratory forms from 

 temperate regions of both North and South America. Although the 

 peppershrikes {Cychlaris) and shrike-vireos {Vireolanius and Smarag- 

 dolanius) were once placed in separate families (Cyclarhidae and 

 Vireolaniidae), recent evidence from behavior and ecology (Barlow 

 and James, Wilson Bull., 1975, p. 332) and anatomy (Raikow, Bull. 

 Carnegie Mus. Nat. Hist. 1978, no. 7; Clark, Wilson Bull., 1981, p. 

 74) supports the opinion of Zimmer (Amer. Mus. Novit., no 1160, 

 1942, p. 15) that these genera belong in the Vireonidae. Vireos are 

 primarily insectivores that glean from foliage, branches, and trunks; 

 some take fruit as well. Except for the small greenlets, Hylophilus, 

 which often forage in an active, warblerlike manner, vireos move 

 slowly and deliberately through the foliage, where their greenish plum- 

 age makes them difficult to locate; their loud and persistent songs, 



