456 THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY • Vol. 123. No. 3, September 2011 
FIG. 1. Selected call notes of Phibalura flavirostris flavirostris demonstrating range of variability. Intervales State 
Park, Sao Paulo, Brazil. 
sound recordings (representing at least 8 individ¬ 
uals) of flavirostris in Brazil during a similar stage 
of nesting conditions to compare to recordings of 
13 boliviano individuals (#’s 120831, 120833, and 
120834, Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds, 
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA). The 
flavirostris vocalizations consisted of a single call 
note type with only a slight change of form but not 
frequency (Fig. 1). This call was most often 
recorded when one individual of a perched pair 
would call once before flight. No other sound was 
heard or recorded. The flavirostris population is 
considered to vocalize infrequently (Snow et al. 
2004). I heard individuals vocalize on average 
once every 15 min. 
Vocalizations of boliviano are highly variable 
and frequently emitted. One individual gave on 
average 80 type C call notes per minute over a 4- 
min sound recording (Fig. 2). Call C is the most 
common call note, used as a contact call in large 
flocks perched and in fright. There is also high 
variation in calling patterns with call types A, B, 
and C (Fig. 3) repeated without pattern but with 
slight variation in frequency for long periods. 
Calls D and E were recorded only once by 
«- Call C Sequence 
different individuals (Fig. 3). Several calls can be 
frequently heard at the same time while boliviano 
forages gregariously; where other call types have 
been heard but not recorded. Song A shows the 
only repeated patterned calls recorded for bolivi¬ 
ano suggesting a song type (Fig. 4). This pattern 
was repeated without pause for >2 min. A female, 
while nesting, emitted Call C frequently while 
alone with a single egg. Single individuals of 
flavirostris while brooding eggs have not been 
heard to vocalize. 
Seasonal Movements.—P. f flavirostris has 
strong seasonal movements from 400 to 1,200 m 
elevation in Brazil (Sick 1993). Individuals arrive 
in open foothill areas to breed from October to 
January. Individuals are entirely absent from these 
breeding areas for 7 months of the year with 
unclear movements although some have been 
observed to move to lowland forest (Snow 1982, 
Sick 1993). In contrast, P.f boliviano are present 
throughout the year (1,400-2,000 m asl) where 
studied and are known to breed from August to 
March with a peak around January (William 
Ferrufino, unpubl. data). No seasonal movements 
are apparent for boliviano. 
Time (sec) 
g nt of call C sequence of Phibalura flavirostris boliviano , Pata, Madidi National Park, La Paz, Bolivia. 
