Distributional Check-List of the Birds of Mexico Part I
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COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA NUMBER 29 Distributional Check-List of the Birds of Mexico PART I BY HERBERT FRIEDMANN, LUDLOW GRISCOM and ROBERT T. MOORE BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA PUBLISHED BY THE CLUB June 30, 1950 Edited By ALDEN H. MILLER and FRANK A. PITELKA at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California NOTE The publications of the Cooper Ornithological Club consist of two series---The Condor, a bi-monthly journal, and the Pacific Coast Avifauna, for the accommodation of papers the length of which pro- hibits their appearance in The Condor. For information as to either of these series, address the Club’s Business Manager, W. Lee Chambers, Robinson Road, Topanga, California. CONTENTS PAGE Introduction ____._________________._____.. ____ ______________..____............... _________ _________________.___ ___________. _.. 5 Tinamidae, Tinamous __.___________,__________.__.._.._._____.._____________ _____ ______ ____________________.__........ _ 9 Gaviidae, Loons _.________________..____._____.. _.._______.. ______________._..___.................. _____..____: _..____._. _.. 11 Colymbidae, Grebes __..__....__.______.__.._____.............. ____________.._..______ ____..____.________................_ 12 Diomedeidae, Albatrosses _I._..__.___________________._ _______________________________ ________ ____._________.____... _ 14 Procellariidae, Shearwaters, Fulmars, and Petrels _____._..________________..______ _______.______.__ _.._ 15 PhaCthontidae, Tropic-birds _..___..________..____.__________.................. ________._______._____ _____ __._....._ 20 Pelecanidae, Pelicans __._.___._..._._........................................................................~......-.-..20 Sulidae, Boobies and Gannets __._.._.._..________...................._.._..____..______.............................. 2 2 Phalacrocoracidae, Cormorants ____..____.___________.._... ______.._.._...___._..................................._ 24 Anhingidae, Snake-birds __________________.__................................................ _._____..__._____._._.... 25 Fregatidae, Man-o’-war Birds __________.._.__.___________________.._____ _.__._____ _______ ______._____._____._._ _.._ 26 Ardeidae, Herons, Bitterns, and allies __.___.___..____.. ____.....________....___ ____.._____ _. ..___._._..__._ _... 26 Cochleariidae, Boat-billed Herons ._._.._.....________...._. .._______..._____.............. __.._._._...__.__..._ 34 Ciconiidae, Storks and Wood Ibises . ..___...__________................._.___......__________.................. 34 Threskiornithidae, Ibises and Spoonbills_.___________. _..._.._________. _. .._____________ __..._.__..___.._ _.__ 35 Phoenicopteridae, Flamingos _._......___..___________________._.________.... ____..____.______.._.................... 36 Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans_____________...____.......................................................... 36 Cathartidae, New World Vultures_.._______.._______...................... __.._______.._____ _. ..__.__._..__._ _.__ 46 Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Harriers . ..______________.....___ ___________._.._.. _______..________.___ 48 Pandionidae, Ospreys ____________________........................................_.________._____________................ 62 Falconidae, Falcons, Caracaras, and allies _______.__.._. ..__________._.._..__________ _____._________...__. _.._ 63 Cracidae, Curassows, Guans, and Chachalacas________________._.. __._..____.________ ~_.___..____..___ _.__ 68 Phasianidae, Partridges, Quails, and Pheasants__.____.______.______..................................... 7 1 Meleagrididae, Turkeys _________.._.._.._______...___..__________..__................................................. _ 80 Gruidae, Cranes _.____..._____._______________....._.._________........... _.______.._________ _________.___..________________ 81 Aramidae, Limpkins __.___._____________................................................._. .._..__.._____ _____________ 82 Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots.___..____.._______.................................. _. ..____.__ ___._ ____ 82 Heliornithidae, Sun Grebes..______.___.__._____ _______.______.....__......... ____________.__.__ ____.._..________ ____ 88 Eurypygidae, Sun Bitterns _..__________________________________________________._......... ____.._ ___..___ ________. _.__ 88 Jacanidae, Jacanas ____.__.._______.___ __.__.__..___ _____ _________ ________.._______ ___________.._ ____.__ __._.__....___... 88 Haematopodidae, Oyster-catchers ______..______________. _.__..________. ___________.______._............. ___.___ __ 89 Charadriidae, Plovers, Turnstones, and Surf-birds __._______..________________..___.__ __._____._____ ____ 90 Scolopacidae, Snipe, Woodcock, and Sandpipers________ __.___________._____._____ ______ ____.. ______ ____ 93 4 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 29 PAGE Recurvirostridae, Avocets and Stilts..._..___ _._____ _________________ _..____._____________......_._..._.. ____.__101 Phalaropodidae, Phalaropes ________________ __________ __.___.___ _.._.._ ___ ____ _________ _____.________________.._.___ _ 101 Burhinidae, Thick-knees __..____. _____.___..._______..______ ______ ______ ___. ..___ ____..___ __._.. __.______ _____________ 102 Stercorariidae, Skuas and Jaegers....____.__..__.__...................................... _________.__________ __._102 Laridae, Gulls and Terns...___________._____ __..________._________ _._______ ___._..__._______.__................. ______ 103 Rynchopidae, Skimmers ___________.____.__.__.___ ________._______ ____.. ___ _.____ _..___ _._______ ____..___ ________ _____112 Alcidae, Auklets, Murres, and Puffins______..____._.______ ______ ______ ____________ _______.._ ___._ ________ ______ 112 Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves ________.__. _.______________.____..... _______ ___.__ ____ _____ ________________________ 113 Psittacidae, Parrots _____________.__.._______......................... ____..____..________....... _.___________.____ __.___ _ 124 Cuculidae, Cuckoos and Anis __._...__......___._...................................___________ ____.____________.____ 131 Tytonidae, Barn Owls______.__ _._____._____..______.................. _.______._.____ _.________.__.._.__................. _ 137 Strigidae, Owls _______.______ _________.____..___.____......................... _.._______ ______ _._..____________ _____ ________ _ 138 Nyctibiidae, Pootoos ____.____ _______.___._.......................... ____..________.____________ ______ ____._ _____ _____ ___ 151 Caprimulgidae, Nighthawks and Whip-poor-wills .________________.______________________________._._.. 151 Apodidae, Swifts ______________________ _______._._____.__.____ _____________.._____.... ___________________ ______ ____ _______ _ 158 Trochilidae, Hummingbirds ________________.__..._____ ____.__..___ _______.__..___ ___________.___._...___________ _____161 Index __.___..______________..___________................. .._..____..__.__.................... __________.______ ______ _____ _____ 185 INTRODUCTION A distributional check-list of the birds of MCxico has long been a desideratum of all ornithologists concerned with the systematics and distribution of North American birds. The richness of the Mexican avifauna and the widely scattered disposition of the ma- terial preserved in collections have served to discourage attempts in the past to supply such a compilation. The present check-list is, therefore, a first one, and like all such pioneer ventures, is bound to serve not only as a summation of present recorded knowl- edge, but also as a stimulus to release into print countless additional data hitherto lying dormant, or even buried, in various repositories and notebooks. The compilers feel, in a very real sense, that the rapidity with which, and the extent to which, this check-list becomes out of date will be a measure of its usefulness in advancing knowledge, just as its continuing usefulness for what it contains will determine its place in the working library of students of American birds. Its greatest service to ornithology may be as a spur to workers to concentrate on revealed gaps in our knowledge of Mexican birds and their distribution. The compilers of the present work have attempted to canvass everything that has been published on the subject and also to utilize the combined collections available to the three of them. It has not been considered advisable to postpone this check-list in- definitely until every group has been critically reviewed or every specimen in every collection re-identified. The compilers are aware of important collections not in a con- dition to make them available for the present purpose. Notable among these are the large series of Mexican birds, long unstudied, in the British Museum, to say nothing of collections nearer at hand but not completely identified. The compilers do not, in any way, wish to anticipate work now in progress or planned by students either of special areas in MCxico or of particular groups of birds. It is hoped that these investigators may find the present work useful to them. The compilers believe that even within a committee of as few as three members it is unwise to attempt to settle questions involving the validity of some forms of birds by a simple vote, as they realize that there is frequently more actual information or experi- ence expressedin a minority opinion than in a majority one. Inasmuch as it is expected that the potential readers of this check-list may be of a generally more technically pre- pared type than are the majority of users of the