362 



BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 4 



on April 24, 1976. This race is also found in adjacent Colombia, and 

 other races are found to eastern Peru, southern Argentina, Chile, and 

 southern Brazil. 



This species has been extending its range northward, having recently 

 spread in the West Indies to the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and His- 

 paniola. In early 1980, large numbers were seen around the Tocumen 

 marsh and at the La Siesta Hotel, eastern Province of Panama, by 

 many people (Ridgely in litt.). They were seen from at least January 

 to March by observers previously familiar with both small cowbirds. 

 The maximum count was approximately 200 on January 20, seen by 

 P. Donahue, but usually the number seen was under 100. For a time 

 the birds roosted at the hotel with Orchard Orioles. In the same period 

 of 1981 neither cowbird was seen in this area. 



Friedmann (1929, The Cowbirds, Springfield, 111.: Charles C. Thom- 

 as, pp. 57-144) has studied this species in Argentina, where its vocaliza- 

 tions are similar to those of M. ater of North America. Eisenmann (in 

 litt.) has heard a "pleasant tinkling song" from this species in Vene- 

 zuela. It parasitizes a wide variety of small birds, but it has also oc- 

 casionally been observed beginning the construction of a nest, although 

 never finishing it. 



QUISCALUS MEXICANUS PERUVIANUS Swainson: Great-tailed 

 Grackle, Changame 



Quiscalus Peruvianus Swainson, 1838 (1837?), Anim. Menag., p. 354. (Peru.) 



Very large; tail graduated; male entirely black with a glossy purple 

 sheen; female dark brown above, lighter brown below. 



Description. — Length, male 389-414 mm, female 281-330 mm. Adult 

 male, entirely black with a glossy purple sheen on body; wings and tail 

 with slightly greenish sheen; tail long and keel shaped. 



Adult female, crown sepia, rest of upper surface, including wings 

 and tail, very dark brown, slightly glossy; superciliary lighter brown; 

 malar and auricular areas, and sides of neck sepia; chin dingy whitish, 

 becoming buffy on throat; flanks, abdomen, and undertail coverts dark 

 brown; rest of undersurface light brown, slightly lighter, more buffy 

 on center of belly. 



A male taken at Chico, Panama, on March 16, 1949, had the iris yel- 

 lowish white. The eye color of females varies from rather dull yellow 

 to a light brownish yellow. In young birds the iris is dark. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from Panama), wing 166.5-186.4 



