A Sight Record of the Chestnut-Breasted Chlorophonia from Central Peru
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A Sight Record of the Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia from Central Peru Michael Gochfeld* and G. Stuart Keith* The Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia tanagers.The birds were moving slowly through (Chlorophonia pyrrophrys) is known from the canopy along a ridge close to the Tingo northwestern Venezuela through the Colombian Maria-Hufinuco road, and we observed them at Andes to eastern Ecuador (Meyer de Schauen- about eye level, from a distance of about 75 see, The Species of Birds of South America, meters, through a 25 power telescope. We had Livingston, 1966). On September 23, 1972, at ample opportunity to recognize the diagnostm 6800 ft. (2060 meters) elevation on the northeast features of the male as it perched for about two slope of the CarpishMountains, Department of minutes on an exposed branch. We noted the Hufinuco, central-eastern Peru, Dan and Erica *Department of Ornithology American Museum of Tallman and the authors observeda pair of these Natural History, New York, NY 10024. 11 NATURE TOURS FROM QUESTERS FOR YOUR WINTER TRAVEL For this winter Questersoffers 11 of its 34 excitingWorldwide Nature Toursfor 1975. We visit nationalparks, wildlife sanctuaries, botanical gardens,and cultural centers. All toursare escorted by naturalists. December 1974 SOUTH AFRICA AND BOTSWANA HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, 15 days 22 days: myriad birds, rich flora Six islands:birds, plants, geology. and fauna. COSTA RICA, PANAMA, AND THE January 1975 CANAL ZONE DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL MONUMENT 15 days:land bridge of the Americas. 10 days exploring a natural museum. March 1975 MIGRATORY GREY WHALES• BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK BAJA, CALIF. 8 days exploringcanyons, mountains, 8 daysof whale-and seal-watching. and the desert. 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Many local leaders. All inclusive from Los Angeles $Z495. KOREA, HONG KONG, TAIWAN--April 13, 1975, for 3 weeks. All life zones •vill be covered--from the sea to jun- gles and mountain. Spring migration peak. Should see blue magpie, white-bellied sea eagle, blue ground chat, bluestart and many others. Leader--Ben King, who has spent 1« years in Korea. Price about $2400 from Los Angeles. NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY InternationalEcology Workshops, Dept. C Harwinton, Connecticut 06790 Volume 28, Number 5 961 green throat bordered by a narrow black band, malesof thetwo speciesare, however,strikingly the rusty central abdomen with yellow sides and different. flanks, and the greenupperparts with bright blue This sight record is apparentlythe first report crown and yellow rump. The female was gener- of this speciesfrom Peru, and extendsits known ally duller, lacking the "chestnut" central abdo- range about 550 miles (880 kilometers) from its men and yellow rump, but possessingthe blue nearest known locality in eastern Ecuador. The crown. The authorswere previously familiar with occurrenceof a pair together suggeststhat they two other members of the genus, the Golden- were resident birds, rather than migrantsor wan- browed Chlorophonia, C. (occipitalis) derers. Further field work is needed to document callophrys, and the Blue-naped Chlorophonia, this record and determine the status of the C.cyanea. The former is known only from Costa species in central and northern Peru. Rica and Panama, while the latter is widespread It is worth mentioning that in Colombia, this •n South America, and is the only Chlorophonia speciesis known from all three Andean ranges, known from Peru (Meyer de Schauensee, 1966, but apparently not at all from the Pacific slope ot. cit.). One additional South American species, except in Narifio, (Meyer de Schauensee,The the distinctive Yellow-collared Chlorophonia Birds of Colombia, Livingston, 1964). On April (C.fiavirostris) is known from a very few speci- 11, 1973, Guy Tudor, Michel Kleinbaum, Robert mens from southwestern Colombia and Ecuador. Gochfeld, and one of the authors (M.G.) We were shortly able to comparethe male we observed a pair of these chlorophoniason the observed with a colored plate in Meyer de crest of the western Andes, one kilometer north Schauensee'sThe Birds of South America (plate of the Cali-Buenaventura road, Department of 40). In examiningskins of this and other species Valle, Colombia, at an altitude of about 6600 ft. •n the American Museumof Natural History, we (2000 meters). Thus it would be no surpriseto further confirmed our identification, We did find that this speciesof subtropicaland temperate notice that there is individual variation in the elevationsoccurs elsewhere on the Pacific slope extent of the "chestnut" color on the underparts of Colombia. This is significantsince, except for of the males. Moreover, we remarked that the the Pacific slope, forests are rapidly being de- female of Euphonia musica aureata, the Peru- stroyed in Colombia. wan race of the Blue-hooded Euphonia, has a We would like to thank the variouspeople who pattern remarkably similar to that of the female participated in the trips to Peru and Colombia, Chestnut-breastedChlorophonia. Both of these Mr. Manuel Plenge of Lima, and F. Carlos b•rds lack the yellow rumps present in their Lehmann of the Museum of Natural History in respective males, and both have bright blue Cali, were particularly helpful in providing crowns (different in shade), with chestnut lores information on their respective countries. We meetingabove the bill. The female Chlorophonia thank EugeneEisenmann for readingand criticis- •s brighter green, particularly on the throat. The ing the manuscript. Jan. 28-Feb. 10 14 Days EAST MEXICO $885 Feb. 13-22 10 Days WEST MEXICO $555 Feb. 13-23 11 Days GUATEMALA $795 For details, write: NaturalHistory Tours, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln, Mass. 01773 962 American B•rds, October, 1974 .