Argentine Ornithology Volume Ii Part 6

The Kingfishers, which form the subject of an excellent ill.u.s.trated Monograph by Mr. Sharpe[1], are but feebly represented in the New World.

Out of the many varied generic forms which make up the family, only a single genus, with about eight species, is met with in the whole of the American Continent. This genus (_Ceryle_) is of wide diffusion, having also representatives in Africa and Asia. There is thus a great contrast with the Old World, where at least 120 species of Kingfishers are met with.

[1] A Monograph of the Alcedinidae, or Family of Kingfishers. By R. B.

Sharpe. London, 1868-71.

261. CERYLE TORQUATA (Linn.).

(RINGED KINGFISHER.)

+Ceryle torquata+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 103; _Barrows, Auk_ 1884, p. 26 (Entrerios); _Sharpe, Mon. Alc._ pl. xxii. p. 73; _Withington, Ibis_, 1888, p. 468 (Lomas de Zamora). +Megaceryle torquata+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 446 (Parana).

_Description._--Above bluish grey, with narrow black shaft-stripes and some small round spots of white; wings black, with a large portion of the inner webs towards the base white, coverts like the back; tail black, crossed by white bars, central rectrices edged with bluish grey: beneath chestnut-red; throat, centre of belly, and crissum white: whole length 150 inches, wings 77, tail 55.

_Female_ similar, but with a broad bluish-grey pectoral band.

_Hab._ Central and South America.

This beautiful bird, the largest of the American Kingfishers, is found throughout the greater portion of South and Central America. In the Argentine Republic it is somewhat rare, though widely distributed, and ranging as far south as Buenos Ayres. Dr. Doring mentions _Ceryle torquata_ amongst the species collected by him on the Rio Negro, in Patagonia; but it is possible that the closely allied _C. stellata_ is meant, as this form represents the larger and more brightly-coloured bird in the Magellanic district.

Notwithstanding its wide distribution and great beauty, little has been recorded of the habits of this species. In Amazonia, Bartlett says:--"It breeds in company with _Ceryle amazona_. The nest, however, is placed very much deeper in the bank than in the case of the last-named bird, the hole being from 4 to 6 feet in depth, with a chamber at the end sufficiently large for the young birds when nearly full-grown."

262. CERYLE AMAZONA (Lath.).

(AMAZONIAN KINGFISHER.)

+Ceryle amazona+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 103; _White, P. Z. S._ 1883, p. 40 (Cordova); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 26 (Entrerios); _Sharpe, Mon. Alc._ pl. xxiv. p. 83. +Chloroceryle amazona+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 446 (Parana).

_Description._--Above dark green, with a white neck-band: beneath white, with a broad chestnut pectoral band; flanks striped with green; under surface of wings white; tail beneath slaty, with white bars on the inner webs: whole length 110 inches, wing 53, tail 34. _Female_ without the red pectoral band, which is incompletely replaced by dark green.

_Hab._ South America.

This Kingfisher was found by White at Cosquin, where it is usually met with along the _acequias_, or ca.n.a.ls made for the purpose of irrigating the cultivated lands. These ca.n.a.ls are in places bordered with brushwood and trees, and are tolerably deep, with a swiftly flowing current, and abound in small fishes, so that this bird seems to prefer them as hunting-grounds to the rocky river-bed.

In Entrerios Mr. Barrows tells us this Kingfisher is not uncommon along the Lower Uruguay, and sometimes ascends the smaller streams a short distance. It is much more easily approached than _C. torquata_.

_C. amazona_ is also found as far south as Buenos Ayres, where I have always seen them singly or in pairs. Its usual cry is exceedingly loud, hard, and abrupt, and so rapidly reiterated as to give it a sound resembling that of a policeman's rattle. But this is not its only language, and I was greatly surprised one day at hearing one _warbling_ long clear notes, somewhat flute-like in quality, as it flew from tree to tree along the borders of a stream. It seems very strange that there should be a melodious Kingfisher; but Mr. Barrows also heard the allied _Ceryle americana_ sing, much to his surprise. My belief is, that the birds of this group possess a singing faculty, but very rarely exercise it; with _C. americana_ I am well acquainted, yet I never heard it utter any note except its hard, rattling cry, resembling that of _C. amazona_, but less powerful.

263. CERYLE AMERICANA (Gm.).

(LITTLE KINGFISHER.)

+Ceryle americana+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 103; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 185 (Buenos Ayres); _Salvin, Ibis_, 1880, p. 361 (Salta); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 26 (Entrerios); _Sharpe, Mon.

Alc._ pl. xxvi. p. 89. +Chloroceryle americana+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 447 (Parana).

_Description._--Above bronzy green; line along sides of head and neck-collar white; wings spotted with white; tail above green, beneath blackish, barred with white on the inner webs; throat white; breast chestnut-red; belly and crissum white, flanks with bronzy-green spots; bill and feet black: whole length 70 inches, wing 31, tail 25. _Female_ similar, but no chestnut on the breast, which is crossed by a bronzy-green band.

_Hab._ South America.

This is the smallest of our three Kingfishers, and nearly resembles _C.

amazona_ in plumage. Durnford found it "not uncommon" about the creeks and streams at the mouth of the Parana, and also obtained specimens in the north of the Republic near Salta, during his last journey. Prof.

Burmeister met with it at Parana and Tuc.u.man.

Mr. Barrows gives us the following notes on this Kingfisher:--

"Resident through the year at Concepcion, but especially abundant in winter, when it haunts the main river, the island-sh.o.r.es, and all the streams, big and little. It is not in the least shy, and one once perched in some willows directly over my boat and not 10 feet away, while he swallowed a tiny fish he had just captured; after which he twitted such a hearty little song that I really felt as if his proper place must be among the _Oscines_, in spite of all anatomical defects.

On the Pampas, we found this a rather common bird on the small streams, and its presence on some streams whose waters are entirely absorbed by the desert before they can reach either sea or lake, first called my attention to the presence, even in these streams, of numbers of a small fish which is found in many of the pools as well all over the Pampas.

Although both this and the preceding species must nest about Concepcion, I did not succeed of learning anything of the nest or eggs."

Fam. XXV. TROGONIDae, or TROGONS.

The Trogons, a family peculiar among all zyG.o.dactyle birds for having the inner toe instead of the outer toe reversed in position, are found in the Old World as well as in the New. But they are much more abundant in the Tropics of America, where they number some thirty species, and attain an astonishing development of ornamental plumage in the celebrated Quezal (_Pharomacrus_) of Guatemala. In Argentina two stray species only have, as yet, been recorded as met with in the northern provinces.

The Trogons are purely arboreal in habits, and frequent the larger trees of the denser forests, feeding mainly on insects.

264. TROGON VARIEGATUS, Spix.

(PURPLE-BREASTED TROGON.)

+Trogon variegatus+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 104; _White, P. Z.

S._ 1882, p. 618 (Salta); _Gould, Mon. Trog._ ed. 2, pl. xix.

_Description._--Above shining bronzy green; head purplish; wings blackish; coverts grey, finely vermiculated with black; tail--two middle feathers like the back, but tipped with black, next two pairs black, edged with green; three outer pairs white with broad black bars and white tips: beneath, breast dark purple, separated from the rosy-red abdomen by a narrow white band: whole length 90 inches, wing 50, tail 50. _Female_: above dark grey; wing-coverts and secondaries with transverse bars of black and white; tail, blackish, two middle feathers grey tipped with black, three outer pairs broadly edged externally and tipped with white: beneath, breast dark grey, separated from the rosy-red abdomen by a white band.

_Hab._ Brazil and N. Argentina.

White obtained examples of this Trogon at Campo Colorado, near Oran, where it frequents the topmost branches of the loftiest forest-trees, and is very difficult to discover. It is said to have a peculiar mournful cry.

265. TROGON SURUCURA, Vieill.

(AZARA'S TROGON.)

+Trogon surucura+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 104; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 619 (Misiones); _Gould, Mon. Trog._ ed. 2, pl. xxv.

_Description._--Above bronzy green, head purplish; wings black, coverts and outer secondaries grey, finely vermiculated with black; tail--two middle feathers like the back, but tipped with black; others black, but three outer pairs with most of the outer webs and broad tips white: beneath, breast purple, abdomen red: whole length 110 inches, wing 53, tail 57. _Female_: grey; belly rosy red; wing-coverts and outer secondaries black, with white bars.

_Hab._ S. Brazil, Paraguay, and N. E. Argentina.

This is the only _Trogon_ included by Azara in his Birds of Paraguay. He calls it "Surucua," and states that it is confined to the larger forests of that country.