Notes on The Breeding Habits of Panyptila cayennensis
1958; Oxford University Press; Volume: 75; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/4081880
ISSN1938-4254
Autores Tópico(s)Plant Taxonomy and Phylogenetics
ResumoPanyptila cayennensis, known as Cayenne, Lesser Swallow-tailed, or Scissor-tailed Swift, is a wide-ranging species of the lowland tropics, recorded from Veracruz, Mexico to southeastern Brazil.Its remarkable tubular nest has been often described, but there seems to be no published account of the method of constructing the nest nor of the bird's breeding and roosting habits.These aspects of behavior I have recently had an opportunity to observe.In Middle America occur two Species of Panyptila, similar in form and color but differing greatly in size, P. scvncti-hieronymi and P. cayenhensis.Only the smaller species, P. cayennensis, is found in South America.This swift, between four and a half to five inches long, is velvety black, with a contrasting white throat and collar around the neck, a white patch on each side of the rump, and a whitish spot in front of each large black eye.The tail, though very deeply forked, is kept closed during ordinary flight in my experience, the fork becoming visible only when the bird turns.Twice I caught at the nest a living bird (possibly the same individual), which weighed 28 grams.STATUS IN SLFRINAM In Surinam (Dutch Guiana), where my observations were made, Panyptila appears to be not uncommon in the coastal area and the interior savanna region.It has adapted itself to man, for it now breeds freely on shade trees of coffee Plantations and on buildings, even in the middle of the city of Paramaribo and elsewhere in settlements.Yet this swift seems to be rather secretive, for I have never observed one at a distance from the nest site, though even during the breeding season it spends hours at a time away from the nest.I do not know where it passes the day or where it feeds.I am skeptical about Beebe's state-121
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