Birds from Coahuila, Mexico

by Emil K. Urban

Falco sparverius sparverius Linnaeus.—Specimen examined: one, ♂ 31648, from the north foot of Sierra Guadalupe (=10 mi. S, 5 mi. W General Cepeda), 6400 ft., April 17, 1953, weight, 104 gms.

The Sparrow Hawk is locally common in Coahuila. Miller (1955a:162) noted the species occasionally in the lower canyon areas of the Sierra del Carmen at 5000 feet from April 20 to 28. Dickerman saw two Sparrow Hawks in the Sierra del Pino on May 12, 1954. Sutton and Burleigh (1939a:27) took a male at La Rosa on January 30 that was typical for F. s. sparverius. Burleigh and Lowery (1942:188) noted Sparrow Hawks almost daily about Saltillo and infrequently in the open valley south of Diamante Pass; they took a female at Saltillo on April 22 that was assigned to F. s. sparverius.

*Colinus virginianus texanus (Lawrence).—Specimens examined: total 9: ♂ 29408 and ♀ 29409 from 1 mi. S, 9 mi. W Villa Acuña, April 2, 1950, weights, 169.5 and 174.7 gms., ♂ 29410 and ♀ ♀ 29411-29413 from 3 mi. W, 1 mi. S San Gerónimo, April 9, 1950, weights, 152.6, 158.6, 158.2, 159.0, and 152.8 gms.; and ♂ ♂ 32032-32034 from 9 mi. S, 11 mi. E Sabinas, 1050 ft., June 13 and 14, 1952.

The Bobwhite is locally common in northeastern Coahuila. Aldrich and Duvall (1955:18) indicated that C. v. texanus has been recorded from two separate localities in northeastern Coahuila and from several localities in Texas along the Río Grande. Findley saw Bobwhites 2 mi. S and 3 mi. E San Juan de Sabinas on June 22, 1952. The specimens of Bobwhite from 3 mi. W and 1 mi. S San Gerónimo seem to extend the known range of texanus nearly 100 miles west. The sizes of the testes (11, 16, 15, 15 mm.) of Nos. 29408, 32032-32034, respectively, indicates breeding by the Bobwhite in Coahuila.

*Callipepla squamata pallida Brewster.—Specimens examined: total 16: ♂ 29414 from 1 mi. S, 13 mi. W Villa Acuña, April 4, 1950; ♂ ♂ 29415-29417 from 11 mi. W Hacienda San Miguel, 2200 ft., April 4, 1950, weights, 205.3, 198.6, and 182.7 gms.; ♀ ♀ 31019-31021 from 10 mi. S, 5 mi. E Boquillas, 1500 ft., March 2 and 4, 1952, weights, 184.4, 180 and 154.2 gms.; ♂ 34454 from 2 mi. SSE Castillón, 4050 ft., June 29, 1953, weight, 169 gms.; ♂ 29418 and ♀ 29419 from 8 mi. N, 2 mi. E La Babia, April 8, 1950; ♂ ♂ 32023-32024, ♂ 32026, ♀ 32025, and ♀ 32027 from 5 mi. N, 19 mi. W Cuatro Ciénegas, 3250 ft., July 6, 1952; and [** Male] 32640 from 2 mi. W Paila, July 3, 1955.

The Scaled Quail is common in Coahuila. The subspecies pallida occurs in northwestern Coahuila south to Sierra de los Alamitos. Intergrades of pallida, castanogastris, and squamata are present in the central part of the State. No. 32640, obtained 2 mi. W Paila, has some resemblance to squamata. Five specimens of pallida from the central part of Coahuila (5 mi. N and 19 mi. W Cuatro Ciénegas), show little or no approach toward squamata. Miller (1955a:162) stated that two of the Scaled Quail collected in the Sierra del Carmen show no approach to the race castanogastris of eastern Coahuila nor to C. s. squamata of southern Coahuila. From the specimens that I have examined, I judge that the range of pallida extends as far south as the Sierra de los Alamitos rather than only to the northwestern part of Coahuila as reported by Aldrich and Duvall (1955:17). In northeastern Coahuila pallida seems to intergrade with castanogastris; No. 29414 has an indistinct rusty chestnut patch on its abdomen, thus resembling castanogastris.

The sizes of the testes (9-12 mm.) and of the largest ova (14 mm. in diameter and an egg 23 mm. long) of birds labeled with reference to Cuatro Ciénegas indicate breeding activity.

**Callipepla squamata castanogastris Brewster.—Specimen examined: one, ♂ 32028, from 9 mi. S, 11 mi. E Sabinas, June 14, 1952.

Typical representatives of C. s. castanogastris in Coahuila occur only in the extreme northeastern section of the State, and most specimens of the Scaled Quail from northeastern Coahuila are intergrades between pallida and castanogastris.

No. 32028 is identified as C. s. castanogastris because there is a distinct rusty chestnut patch on its abdomen. This patch, nevertheless, is not so large as in a more nearly typical male C. s. castanogastris from 15 mi. NNW Anahuac, Nuevo León.