October 1983] ShortCommunications 983

Notes on Common and Antillean of the Florida Keys

HENRY M. STEVENSON,1 EUGENE EISENMANN, 2 CHESTERWINEGARNER? AND ALVAN KARLIN 4 •Tall Timbers ResearchStation, Route 1, Box 160, Tallahassee,Florida 23212 USA; 2AmericanMuseum of Natural History,New York,New York 10024USA (deceased); aArchboldBiological Station, Lake Placid,Florida 33852 USA; •ThomasCommunity College, Thomasville, Georgia 31792 USA

The Antillean (Chordeilesgundlachii, here Early summerrecords of the CommonNighthawk on including the Bahamapopulation vicinus) was rec- the Florida Keys (Howell 1932, Nicholson 1950, ognizedby Wetmoreand Swales(1931) and Eisen- Hundley and Hames 1961)do not necessarilyindi- mann (1962) as a distinct speciesfrom the Common cate breeding. Common Nighthawks have been Nighthawk (Chordeilesminor) based on its distinctive identifiedby voicein Juneat the Dry Tortugas,where call notes and (by the latter author) based on the no nighthawks nest (Robinson1940, Stevenson1966). sympatryof the two formson the FloridaKeys. Mon- Both forms of nighthawks increasedon the Keys roe (1968) and the recent 34th supplement of the during the 1960's and 1970% probably due to defor- A.O.U. checklist (A.O.U. 1982) acceptedthis decision. estation. Alexander Sprunt, IV, identified both forms Ridgway(1914) and Eisenmann(1962) noted that on Key Largo, June and July 1961, basedon calls of from the Bahamaswere more buffy ventrally than males guarding nesting females (Eisenmann 1962). were minor (subspecieschapmani of Florida and Donna Sprunt found both forms defending territo- southernportions of adjacentstates), and Oberholser ries on Plantation Key and found two nests attrib- (1914) presented measurementsdemonstrating that utedto the Antilleanform in June1960 and July 1961 birds of the West Indies populationswere smaller (Sprunt 1963),but a photographof one nest showed than mainland specimens.Bond (1956) and Monroe two eggs with the large, darkly pigmented spots (1968) regarded vicinusas inseparableat the subspe- characteristic of minor (see below). Since 1957, occa- cific level from gundlachii. sionalAntillean Nighthawks have been heard or col- We here describethe eggs and the natal and ju- lected on the Florida mainland north to Homestead, venal plumages of and the differences in enzyme Miami, and Virginia Key, Dade County, and Flamin- proteinsbetween the two speciesas further evidence go, Monroe County (UMRC 2072; ENP 149) (Steven- supportingthe specificstatus of gundlachii. son 1958, 1968;Ogden 1973).The two speciesmay be Available evidence suggeststhat no nighthawks unevenly distributedin the Keys now, as Stevenson summeredon the Keys until 1941, when the Antil- foundmany Common Nighthawks on the upperKeys lean was found there (Greene 1943). Nicholson but none of the lower Keys during 1977-1980.Dur- (1950, 1957) twice described the first egg of gund- ing that period he found only two Antillean Night- lachiifrom the Keys. It was heavily incubatedand hawks on the upper Keys but severalon the middle paler in colorationthan the eggsof C. minorchapmani and lower Keys.At Key Largo,where the 2 Antillean that were collected 12 (or 13) June 1949 (date varied Nighthawks were collected, about 20-30 Common in two reports)on Stock Island. Nicholson, on the Nighthawks were seenand heard on eachof the three hand-written data form for an egg of "gundlachii," trips, and a total of at least 20 nests of minor with collected 12 June 1959 (DMNH 5958), but with dark eggsor small young was found. spotsand noted as being fresh, describesputting an To study the downy young, Stevensoncollected an egg of the (source not men- egg from each speciesof nighthawk flushed from tioned) in an Antillean Nighthawk nest in an at- nests on the Keys on 27 June 1977. The eggs were tempt to get photographsof the female before the incubatedat 38øCat the Archbold BiologicalStation, nesting pair was collected. Egg 5958 is apparently near Lake Placid (Highlands County), Florida. The that of C. minor. The location of the gundlachiiegg Antillean and North American nighthawk chicks describedby Nicholson is unknown. Several years hatchedon 30 Juneand 4 July, respectively.Chester later the mostsoutherly Florida nesting for the Com- and Marsha Winegarner weighed and photographed mon Nighthawk was reportedto be in Miami (A.O.U. the chicks,recorded their voicesbefore they were 1957).Nicholson alsoverified the first nesting of the sacrificedat 36 h post-hatching,and prepared each CommonNighthawk on the Keysby collectinga set as a museum study skin (C. m. chapmani,AMNH of eggson StockIsland, 27 May 1958 (WFVZ 43066). 823955; C. g. gundlachii,AMNH 823956, Fig. 2). Be- cause both the eggs and the chicks differed in size and color pattern, we borrowed and compared ad- ditional eggs and downy young, and R. W. Dicker- • Semicolonsseparate sections in different issues,commas separate sections in the same issue, and numbers of volumes are underscored. man borrowed and compared juvenal-plumaged The spectficsection with the referenceto the nighthawk record is 34: specimensfor us. 74-80 (or just p. 79). From May to July 1979 and 1980, 36 nighthawks, 984 ShortCommunications [Auk, Vol. 100

describedby Selander et al. (1971) were modified (Guttman et al. 1980). All gels were 13.5% starch (Electrostarch, Lot #392, Otto Hiller, Madison, Wis- consin). Eggs.--A total of 117 eggs (10 C. gundlachii,97 C. GUNDLACHII minor chapmani,and 10 C. acutipennis)was obtained on loan. The eggs of chapmaniwere marked with largerand darker (sootyto blackish)spots than those of gundlachii(medium gray to brownish) (Fig. 1). Or- lando Garrido also sent measurementsof 25 eggsof gundlachiifrom . Wetmore and Swales (1931) noted that "only an occasionalegg from North America [C. minor]is as finely marked" as those from MINOR Hispaniola. In contrast,eggs of C. gundlachiibroadly overlap the eggsof C. acutipennisin their pale color and lighter markings (Fig. 1). Bond (in litt. 21 Sept 1977) wrote that there is a set of two "heavily and distinctly spotted"eggs in the Philadelphia Academyof Sciencesfrom St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.These are presumablyeggs of gund- lachii,although they are unusualin their heavy spot- [ ACUTIPENNIS ting and in there being two eggs in the clutch (see below). Fig. 1. Selectedeggs of: Chordeilesgundlachii (left There were no significant differencesin size be- to right), Bahamas,USNM 40038, 36279; Florida, tweenthe eggsof C. m. chapmani(n = 95, length 26.4- AMNH 17921, , USNM 36280; Haiti, 32.4 ram, œ= 29.1, SD = 1.31; width 18.5-22.8, œ= USNM 33615, 33616; C. minor chapmani,Florida, 21.1, SD = 0.75), and those of C. gundlachii(n = 35; AMNH 16270, 16260, 17920, 9106, 9099; and C. acu- length 25.5-33.3,œ = 28.9, SD = 1.68;width 20.0-23.3, tipennistexensis (all AMNH, Tamaulipas, 9146; Cali- œ= 20.9, SD = 0.66). Sch•Snwetter (1964) also found fornia, 9144; and Tamaulipas, 9110. The specimensof no significant difference between the eggs of chap- minorand gundlachiiwith wings extended in Fig. 2 maniand those of gundlachii(including vicinus)in the were hatchedfrom the 3rd egg from the left in each weight and thicknessof the shells. of those rows, respectively. Clutchs/ze.--The Antillean Nighthawk in Florida regularly hasa one-eggclutch, as comparedwith the two-egg clutchesof the Common Nighthawk. We ex- amined 11 setsof eggsof gundlachiifrom Florida, the mostlyadults, were collectedand frozenfor electro- Bahamas,Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Jamaica;only one phoreticanalysis. These included 16 Common Night- from contained two eggs. Brudenell- hawks and 20 Antillean Nighthawks. All Common Bruce (1975) found that 2 of 12 nests on New Prov- Nighthawks were collectedin Florida--12 from up- idence, Bahamasc6ntained two eggs. Bond (in litt. per Key Largo (Basin Hills), Monroe County; 1 from 21 Sept. 1977) wrote, however, that two-egg clutches 10.8 km southeastof Moore Haven, Glades County; were the rule in Cuba, and O. Garrido informs us (in 2 from near Clewiston, Hendry County; and 1 from litt. about 1980) that he found two eggsin 10 of 15 near Stuart, Martin County. Of the 20 Antillean clutches in Cuba. Nighthawks, 18 camefrom Nassau,New Providence In contrast, 3 of 97 clutches of minor from Florida Island, Bahamas,and 2 from upper Key Largo, Mon- had one egg, and those may have been incomplete roe County, Florida, where they are sympatricwith sets. One nest from Marco, Lee County, Florida, 28 the Common Nighthawk. June 1902 (FSM 1179), contained three eggs. Electrophoreticstudies were carried out by Karlin Natal plumage.--Recentlyhatched downy young of in laboratories at Tall Timbers Research Station. Or- C. gundlachiiare similar to those of C. minorbut have gan homogenatesfrom each individual were pre- finer, more dispersed, paler dark gray to sooty gray pared by removinga sampleof the skeletalmuscle, markings interspacedwith creamy to grayish buff liver, heart, intestine, and stomach. These tissue sam- areas. They lack the heavy sooty brown to blackish pies were homogenizedtogether in an equal volume blotchesof minor(Fig. 2). Ventrally, downy young of of 2% 2-phenoxy-ethanoland centrifugedat 25,000 minorhave a narrow, dusky area in the interramal rpm at 4øC for 60 min. The supernatantof water- area, extending posteriadas a narrow line to join a soluble proteins was decantedand stored at 4øCover- dark stripe extending posteriadbelow the eye. This night. is obsoletein the gundlachiiexamined. Both species Methods of horizontal starchgel electrophoresisas have pale chins and a patch on the neck with down October1983] ShortCommunications 985

MINOR t GUNDLACHII

ACUTIPENNIS

Fig. 2. Natal-plumagedspecimens of: Chordeilesminor chapmani (left to right),Georgia, DMNH 43913, 43914,Florida, AMNH 823955;C. gundlachii, Key West, AMNH 823956;Bahamas, USNM 323451; Key West, DMNH 5031;and C. acutipennis(all USNM, Arizona 268830,Chihuahua, 165520, 165519. plumesthat are duskybasally and have pale buff to and they have a white, unbarredthroat. They are cream-coloredtips. The breast and belly in both buffy ventrally,as in gundlachiœ speciesare cream-coloredto near white. We have not Voice.--Stevenson'simpression of the recordedcalls seenthe downy young of the Cuban population.Na- of the newly hatchedyoung was that gundlachii gave tal-plumaged C. acutipennisdiffer from both forms in a single,down-slurred "ee-yuh," while the call of the that they lack distinct dark markings and are cinna- young minorseemed to be a shortersingle note that mon to ochraceousdorsally and on the neck and was lower-pitched,more scratchy,and less down- breastand cinnamon buff on the belly. slurred.The calls were analyzedat the Florida State Juvenalplumage.--Two juvenile C. gundlachiifrom Museum by Erik Bitterbaum,using a Kay Electric the Bahamasare similar to juvenile C. m. chapmani Sonograph,Model 7029A,a wide band, and high- from Florida but are somewhatpaler dorsally (Fig. shapedfilters. Most of the 18 callsof gundlachiiwere 3); the edgingsof the dorsalfeathers of one are con- composedof two dominant pulsesof energy cen- spicuouslymore ochraceousthan in chapmanœThere tered at about 2.5 and 6.0 kHz and were considered is a greater contrastbetween the paler wing coverts basicallyalike. Two callswere slightly different, and and tertialsof the Bahamanspecimens than between two were difficult to analyze. More variation was thoseof the two Floridajuveniles. Ventrally, the Ba- notedin the 36 callsof the minorhatchling. Only five haman specimenshave narrower dark bars and are of theseresembled the callsof gundlachii,and only buffer than chapmanœThe singlejuvenile from Cuba eight were consideredsimilar to one another. Bitter- (the smallestgundlachii in Fig. 3) hasextensive deep baumcommented that minormay have a larger call cinnamonedgings to the dorsal feathersand wing repertoire. coverts and is more cinnamon to ochraceous buff The distinctive, somewhat nasal "beerb" or ventrally. "beezhnt" (often written "peent") given by adult The juvenal plumage of C. acutipennistexensis dif- CommonNighthawks is strikinglydifferent from the fers dramatically in being paler with fine vermicu- clicking, katydid-like "killikadick" of the Antillean lationsdorsally and in lackingthe heavyblack mark- bird, but many observersseem unaware of the fact ings of both gundlachiiand minor.Ventrally, juvenile that CommonNighthawks also give clickingsounds acutipennishave weaker barring than either species, at times, and one observer noted the Antillean 986 ShortCommunications [Auk, Vol. 100

MINOR GUNDLACHII ACUT IPENN_IS_

Fig. 3. Juvenal-plumagedspecimens (left to right) of: Chordeilesminor chapmani, Florida, ANSP 31904, DMNH 43914; C. gundlachii(all USNM), Bahamas, 323440, 323456, Cuba 172797; and C. acutipennis(both USNM, Arizona, 481179, 5028.

Nighthawk gives an occasional "beerb" note. The There is some evidence of interspeciesterritorial clicking calls of C. m. minorwere rendered "dick-a- defense on the upper Keys, where observers have dick-a-dick-dick-dick .... "by Gross (in Bent 1940). reported male chapmanidriving away male gundlachii Stevenson and Richard Paul heard an adult C. m. and, occasionally,a male gundlachiipursuing a male chapmanion upper Key Largo, 2 July 1979, giving a chapmani(A. Sprunt, IV in litt.). On upper Key Largo, call that resembled "quit, quit, quit." Occasionally, Richard Paul and Stevensonwatched a chapmanipur- the call was given four times, and it was more liquid sue a female-plumaged Antillean Nighthawk for, in quality and rendered more slowly than notes of perhaps,2-3 min. As has been pointed out by Bond the Antillean Nighthawk. It seemslikely that notes (1963),defense of territory by one form of nighthawk suchas these, if heard by observersnot familiar with againstthe other might tend to indicate that the two the vocalizationsof vicinus,might be responsiblefor forins are conspecificand that the possibility of in- reports of that form well outside its known range. terbreeding exists.We know of no observationsthat Stevensonheard both forms of nighthawks at Mar- would support or refute interbreeding. Bond (pers. athon (middle Keys) on the evening of 2 July 1979, comm.) related to Eisenmann that, although males of noting that chapmanioccasionally gave a double the Antillean form have a different vocalization from "beerb" note. Nicholson (field notes) also heard a that of the continental population, it is not known double"beeah" on Stock Island, 27 May 1958. Also, whether or not females distinguish between them or he (1957) spoke of flushing a male "Cuban" Night- whether or not eggsguarded by calling males of one hawk that gave a single "beap" just before alighting sort were laid by females of that kind. In caprimul- that was "identical to the call that is commonly used gids generally, Schwartz (1968: 225) considers "pri- by C. m. chapmani,"but he did not mention whether mary song" to be the most important factor in the or not it was previouslyidentified as a "Cuban" bird determination of territory and mating. by any other vocalization. (Note, also, the apparent It is possiblethat the "killikadick" vocalization of confusionsurrounding the eggscollected 12 June 1959 the gundlachiicomplex is derived from the clicking as describedabove.) In Nassau,birds gave a longer vocalization occasionallygiven by continental birds, seriesof 5 to 7 syllableswritten as "killi-kadick-dick- but whether or not effective reproductive isolation dick-dick," all syllables after the third being identi- has been achieved is not known. It would help to cal (T. Weed in litt., 28 January 1978). explain how occasionalmixed pairs might form. The well-known "booming"sound is loud in North Electrophoreticanalysis.--Although all 27 electro- American birds, but in gundlachiiit is "higher pitched, phoretically detectable, protein-producing cistrons weaker, and less resonant ... barely audible at fifty were surveyed by Karlin as described in Guttman et yards" (Wetmore and Swales 1931). al. (1981), several enzymatic proteins were not re- October 1983] ShortCommunications 987

sotved. Additionally, the seven nonenzymatic pro- TABLEI. Electromorph frequencies for five poly- teins were monomorphic in all samples. Of the 10 morphic loci in Common and Antillean Night- resolvableenzymatic proteins, 5 (LDH-2, GOT-I, ME, hawks (Chordeilesminor and C. gundlachii). MDH-I, and MDH-2) were also monomorphic in all Locus samples.The electromorph(allele) frequenciesfor the electro- Common Antillean five polymorphiccistrons (EST-2, PGI, PGM, IPO, and morph Nighthawk Nighthawk GOT-2) are given in Table 1. EST-2 electromorph frequencies differ greatly in EST-2 a 0.041 0.028 Common and Antillean nighthawks (Table I). Spe- b 0.041 0.250 c absent 0.555 cifically,the EST-2a and EST-2• electromorphswere in d 0.625 0.166 high frequencies in Common Nighthawks, whereas e 0.292 absent the EST-2e electromorph was not observedin our An- PGI a 1.0 0.975 tillean Nighthawk samples. Likewise, the EST-2c b absent 0.025 electromorph was found in high frequency in the PGM a 0.04 0.1 I Antillean Nighthawks, but it was not observed in b 0.96 0.89 Common Nighthawks. Five of the 16 Common IPO a 1.0 0.975 Nighthawks were heterozygous for EST-2 a/d (1), b absent 0.025 b/c (1), and d/e (3) electromorphs, and 9 of 20 An- GOT-2 a 0.04 absent tillean Nighthawks were heterozygousfor EST-2 a/b b 0.96 1.0 (1), b/c (1), b/d (1), and c/d (6) electromorphs. Al- though this observation is consistent with genetic expectations, it may indicate occasional hybridiza- tion between the two forms. If occasionalhybridiza- tion occurs,heterozygotes for EST-2 c/d and c/e elec- ergladesNational Park (ENP); Field Museum of Nat- tromorphs probably should have been observed in ural History; Florida State Museum; Florida State both samples.In view of the absenceof these geno- University; Peabody Museum of Natural History, types in both samples,it seemsthat hybridization, if Yale; University of California Museum of Vertebrate it occurs, is limited. Zoology; University of Michigan Museum of Zoolo- In order that the electrophoretic data might be gy; University of Miami ResearchCollection (UMRC); compared with other avian data, we calculated Nei's United States National Museum of Natural History StandardGenetic Distance(Nei 1972) between pooled (USNM); and the Western Foundation of Vertebrate data from the two forms. The genetic distance value Zoology (WFVZ). O. Garrido kindly provided us with observed (D = 0.076 and I = 0.926) was on the order measurementsof 25 eggs of gundlachiifrom Cuba. E. of genetic distance(and genetic identity) values ob- Bitterbaumand J. W. Hardy analyzed vocalizations served among currently acceptedspecies of parulid of downy young. R. L. Crawford, D. Knowles, T. warblers (Avise et al. 1980). Thus, although no Maxwell, R. T. Paul, and M. Winegarner assistedin "marker loci" were found to differentiate the two phasesof this study. Virginia Vail translated a pas- forms of nighthawks clearly, the degree of differen- sage from SchiSnwetter,and George Barrowclough tiation observed, as documented by the variation of read the electrophoretic section. We are grateful to EST-2 between these two forms, is on the order of the American Museum of Natural History for the il- that observed by Avise et al. (1980) between other lustrations. R. W. Dickerman prepared the descrip- avian species.This factor, in concert with their sym- tions of the natal and juvenal plumages and assisted patric occurrence in Florida, suggeststhat they are in editing the manuscript. The research was sup- different species. ported in part by a Henry L. Beadel Fellowship to In conclusion,the Antillean Nighthawk, (C. gund- Stevenson from the Tall Timbers Research Station lachii) differs from the Common Nighthawk (C. mi- and in part by National Science Foundation grant nor) in both the color and the number of the eggs,in (BMS 7200102) to the MVZ. the vocalizationsof adults,in the color and, possibly, vocalizations of the newly hatched young, and, to a LITERATURE CITED lesserextent, in the juvenal plumage. The genetic- distancevalue basedon differencesin the frequency AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. 1957. Check-list of certain electromorphsis similar to values observed of North American birds, fifth ed. Baltimore, among speciesin other avian groups. Maryland, Amer. Ornithol. Union. We are grateful to curatorsof the following mu- 1982. Thirty-fourth supplement to the seumsfor loans of fragile specimensin their care: American Ornithologists' Union check-list of Academy Natural Sciences Philadelphia (ANSP); North American birds. Auk 99: 1CC-16CC. American Museum of Natural History (AMNH); Car- AVISE, J. C., J. C. PAttON, & C. F. AQUADRO. 1980. negie Museum;Delaware Museum of Natual History Evolutionarygenetics of birds. Comparativemo- (DMNH); Denver Museum of Natural History; Ev- lecular evolution in New World warblers (Pa- 988 ShortCommunications [Auk, Vol. 100

rulidae) and rodents (Cricetinae). J. Heredity 71: 1957. The BahamanNighthawk ( 303-310. minorvicinus) on the Florida Keys. Auk 74: 505- BENT, A. C. 1940. Life histories of North American 507. cuckoos,goatsuckers, hummingbirds, and their OBERHOLSER,H.C. 1914. A monographof the genus allies, part 1. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 176. ChordeilesSwainson, type of a new family of BONDS,J. 1956. Check-list of birds of the West In- goatsuckers.U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 86. dies. Philadelphia, Acad. Nat. Sci. OGDEN,J.C. 1973. The nesting season:Florida re- 1963. Eighth supplement to the check-list gion. Amer. Birds 27: 859-863. of birds of the West Indies (1956). Philadelphia, RIDGWAY,R. 1914. The birds of North and Middle Acad. Nat. Sci. America. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 50, part 6. BRUDENELL-BRucE,P. G. C. 1975. The birds of New ROBINSON,G. D. 1940. The 1940 Tortugas expedi- Providence and the Bahama Islands. New York, tion. Florida Nat. 14: 1-6. Toplinger Publ. Co. SCH•SNWETTER,M. 1964. Handbuch der oologie.Ber- EISENMANN,E. 1962. Notes on nighthawks of the lin, Academie. genus Chordeilesin Southern Middle America, SCHWARTZ,P. 1968. Notes on two Neotropical with a description of a new race of Chordeiles , Caprimulgusanthonyi and C. parvulus. minorbreeding in Panama.Amer. Mus. Novitates Condor 70: 223-227. 2094: 1-21. SELANDER,R. D., M. H. SMITH, S. Y. YAND, W. E. GREENE,E.R. 1943. Cuban Nighthawk breeding on JOHNSON,& G. I]. GENTRY. 1971. Biochemical lower Florida Keys. Auk 60: 105. polymorphism and systematicsin the genus GUTTMAN, S. I., G. A. GRAY, & A. A. KARLIN. 1980. Peromyscus.I. Variation in the Old Field Mouse Genetic variation in Lake Erie Great Blue Herons (Peromyscuspolionotus). Univ. Texas Publ. 7103: (Ardea herodias).Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 66B: 49-90. 167-169. SPRUNT,g., JR. 1963. Addendum to Florida Bird- HOWELl., A. H. 1932. Florida bird life. New York, life. Charleston, South Carolina, Coward-McCann, Inc. STEVENSON,H.M. 1958. Nesting season:Florida re- HUNDLEY, M. H., & F. HAMES. 1960-1962. Birdlife gion. Audubon Field Notes 12: 405-408. of the lower Florida Keys. Florida Nat. 33: 14- 1966. Nesting season:Florida region. Au- 24, 56; 91-94; 149-155; 209-214; 34: 25-34; 74- dubon Field Notes 20: 561-565. 80; 129-135, 164; 203-207; 35: 17-19, 30; 55-56; 1968. Nesting season:Florida region. Au- 78-81; 123, 128. dubon Field Notes 22: 599-602. MONROE,B. L., JR. 1968. A distributional survey of WETMORE,g., 8t: B. H. SWALES. 1931. The birds of the birds of Honduras. Ornithol. Monogr. 7. Haiti and the . U.S. Natl. NIl, M. 1972. Genetic distance between popula- Mus. Bull. 155. tions. Amer. Nat. 106: 283-292. NICHOLSON,D.J. 1950. Discoveryof the first known Received7 June1982, accepted31 May 1983. nest and egg of the Cuban Nighthawk in the United States. Florida Nat. 23: 43-44.

A New Subspeciesof Caprimulguscubanensis (Aves: Caprimulgidae) from the Isle of Pines, Cuba

ORLANDO H. GARRIDO Calle 60, No. 1706, entre 17 y 19, Marianao 13, Habana,Cuba

The Cuban [Caprimulguscubanensis (Law- mention a specimenshot in the dense woods south rence)] is by no meansa rare bird, either in Cuba or of the Ci•nagade Lanier.Unfortunately, the bird was in the Isle of Pines (now called Isla de la Juventud), so mangledthat it couldnot be saved.For many years but like most caprimulgidsit is nocturnal and diffi- the only specimenfrom the islandwas an adult male cult to see. It is usually detected at sunsetand sun- flushed from a nest, also near the Ci•naga de Lanier, rise, when it incessantlyrepeats the syllablesgua-bai- and collectedby JamesBond (pers. comm.). Recently, ro gua-bai-rothat give rise to its Cuban vernacular however, my former colleaguesNatividad Hernln- name.Because of its habits,few specimensexist either dez and Mario Fernlndez obtained a specimen in a in Cuban or other museums. mostpeculiar way during a field trip to the island to The first report of the Cuban Nightjar from the Isle studythe rodent Capromys.At 2300 they stoppedtheir of Pines is that of Bangsand Zappey (1905:203), who vehicle to make some observations,after which they