478 



BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 4 



Zool., vol. 65, 1922, p. 228). R. Hinds collected a gray-plumaged bird, 

 probably an immature male, at Alturas de Nique on March 22, 1972; 

 the specimen is in the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory collection. It is also 

 found in northern Colombia to Norte de Santander. 



Barbour's specimen came to a feeding tree attractive to other forest 

 birds. He observed others working like orioles about the blossoms in a 

 high treetop. Goldman's notes record that his pair were found in the 

 high tree crown in heavy forest. When the male was shot, the female 

 followed it to the ground. My specimen from the Rio Imamado was 

 taken from a band of small birds moving through the intermediate and 

 higher level in green forest. In northern Colombia, M. A. Carriker, Jr., 

 observed them feeding at wild fig trees growing in dense forest. 



Ridgely (in litt.) has found this bird only high in forest canopy, 

 usually in pairs (sometimes up to 3-4), and almost always consorting 

 with other tanagers. The birds give a sharp dzeet call note, reminiscent 

 of Tersina. Often they perch quite in the open on the tops of trees for 

 extended periods; at the edge of forest or in small clearings they come 

 lower down. 



EUCOMETIS PENICILLATA (Spix): Gray-headed Tanager, 

 Frutero Hormiguero Cabecigris 



Tanagra penicillata Spix, 1825, Av. Spec. Nov. Brasil, 2, p. 36, pi. 49, fig. 1. 

 (Fonte Boa, Rio Solimoes, Brazil.) 



Medium size; crown feathers slightly elongated, forming a crest; 

 head and throat gray; upper surface dark greenish yellow; undersur- 

 f ace bright yellow. 



Description. — Length 160-176 mm. Adult (sexes alike), head, nape, 

 and throat gray; upper surface, including wing coverts and tail, yellow- 

 ish green; remiges with outer web yellowish green, inner web dusky 

 blackish; undersurface rich yellow, darker, on breast, sides, flanks, and 

 undertail coverts; underwing coverts yellow and gray. 



Immature, upper surface slightly more greenish than in adult; gray 

 areas replaced with green. 



The Gray-headed Tanager is a denizen of undergrowth in humid 

 forest and second-growth woodland in the lowlands and foothills, rang- 

 ing into the lower highlands in western Chiriqui. Two races, with 

 ranges detailed below, are found in Panama. Beyond Panama, it is 

 found from southeastern Mexico to Bolivia and southern Brazil. 



This is one of the tanagers that most regularly follows swarms of 

 army ants, not to eat the ants, but to pursue what they flush; it is there- 

 fore often seen with antbirds. A female collected by Strauch (Bull. 



