FAMILY FRINGILLIDAE 



541 



Females (10 from Darien and Colombia), wing 84.0-94.0 (89.4), 

 tail 78.7-84.9 (81.2), culmen from base 18.4-20.0 (19.2), tarsus 22.9- 

 24.9 (23.5) mm. 



Resident. Known in Panama only from Cana in eastern Darien, 

 where E. A. Goldman collected several in 1912 and R. R. Benson took 

 4 in 1928. In February and March 1981, Ridgely (in litt.) found no 

 birds of this species in the Cana area. He speculates that there is now 

 too little clearing in the region for it to have survived; apparently, there 

 were many more people in the region earlier in the century. Benson's 

 birds were collected between approximately 600 and 810 m. 



This race is also found in Colombia, where it has a complex distri- 

 bution through interdigitation and intergradation with the race per- 

 striatus Parkes. 



CARYOTHRAUSTES CANADENSIS (Linnaeus): Black-faced 

 Grosbeak, Piquigrueso Verdiamarillo 



Loxia canadensis Linnaeus, 1766, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1, p. 304 (Cayenne.) 



Large; bill thick, hooked at tip; side of face to just behind eye, and 

 throat, black; upper surface mostly dark yellow; undersurface lighter 

 yellow; in scapularis abdomen and rump are gray. 



Description. — Length 152-163 mm. Adult (sexes alike), lores, side 

 of face to just behind eye, and throat black; upper surface dark yellow 

 in scapularis with rump and upper tail coverts gray; wing coverts, 

 outer webs of remiges, and rectrices same color as back; inner webs of 

 remiges dusky; undersurface yellow; in scapularis abdomen and under- 

 tail coverts gray; underwing coverts yellow. 



This grosbeak inhabits humid forest and forest edges in lowlands, 

 where it wanders about in loose, sometimes quite large, noisy flocks 

 that may include other species as well. The birds feed high in trees, 

 rarely coming lower than 6.5 m from the ground, and take a wide va- 

 riety of fruit and insects. They eat berries by working them between 

 the mandibles until the skin is detached and dropped, only the pulp and 

 seeds being swallowed. Insects are picked from the foliage while 

 perched or flying up to reach a higher leaf or are caught in flycatching 

 sallies. Their calls include a very distinctive, dull buzzy note uttered 

 while foraging and a series of chips given by groups in flight and by 

 mated pairs. Skutch (Publ. Nutt. Orn. Club, no. 10, 1972, p. 210) has 

 also heard a more melodious song given at the beginning of the nesting 

 season; one variation is weet cher cher weet cher; cher che weet, cher 

 che weet, alternated with the harsher chips. 



