368 



BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 4 



(Peters, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 71, 1931, p. 344). Phillips and 

 Dickerman described this race on the basis of the juvenal plumage, in 

 which "the black of the throat patch [is] more extensive [than in /. d. 

 prosthemelas], extending on to the lower breast, and the interscapular 

 region solid black, instead of yellow-green." Postjuvenal plumages of 

 most individuals are like those of /. d. prosthemelas, although Bangs 

 (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., vol. 19, 1906, p. Ill) notes that some indi- 

 viduals from Panama to Honduras have the black extending beyond 

 the breast and onto the flanks and rump. 



I have seen this species three times, at Almirante, during February 

 and March 1958. A pair that I collected there on February 21 was in 

 breeding condition. The only vocalization I heard was a metallic plink 

 call note, but it also has a song that is "a sweet and rapid, but not very 

 loud, series of whistles" (Ridgely, 1976, p. 310). In Costa Rica, 

 Ridgely (in lift.) has seen this species feeding in flowering Erythrina 

 trees with migrant orioles. 



The nest of this oriole is a pouch suspended like a hammock from 

 the underside of a broad leaf such as a banana or palm. The nest is 

 attached by strands passed through holes made by the bird in the leaf. 

 Two nests collected at Almirante on May 16 and June 9, 1962, were 

 made of dark and light fibers and rootlets; the first nest was lined with 

 brown plant down and was 80 mm deep. Neither nest contained eggs. 

 Skutch (Pac. Coast Avif. no. 31, 1954, p. 266) found a nest in Hon- 

 duras that had 3 young birds; after leaving their parents, the young 

 form small flocks of their own age group. 



The Panama race has often been separated specifically with other 

 Middle American subspecies from the West Indian /. dominicensis 

 under the species name /. prosthemelas. 



ICTERUS AURICAPILLUS Cassin: Orange-crowned Oriole, 

 Parao Coroninaranja 



Icterus auricapillus Cassin, 1848, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 3 (1847), 

 p. 332. (Santa Marta, Colombia.) 



Medium size; back of head bright orange; forehead, throat, back, 

 wings, and tail black; rest of body bright yellow. 



Description.- — Length 179-190 mm. Adult (sexes alike), forehead, 

 orbital region, throat, and breast black; crown, nape, and sides of head 

 bright orange; upper back, tail, and wing, except for lesser and middle 

 coverts, black; lesser and middle wing coverts, rump, and undersurface 

 below breast orange-yellow; bend of wing and underwing coverts light 

 orange-yellow. 



