Birds from Coahuila, Mexico

by Emil K. Urban

Miller (1955a:164) took a male Great Horned Owl in the Sierra del Carmen on April 22. Ridgway (1914:742) listed B. v. pallescens from Sabinas. Sutton and Burleigh (1939a:30) obtained a female "near San Pedro" on January 29. Friedmann, Griscom, and Moore (1950:143) recorded B. v. pallescens from Coahuila on February 24, May 26, and June 10. The record of B. v. mayensis from Las Delicias (Amadon and Phillips, 1947:578) has been reidentified by Webster and Orr (1958:141) as B. v. pallescens. Dickerman saw a Great Horned Owl in the Sierra del Pino on May 12,1954.

*Glaucidium gnoma californicum Sclater.—Specimen examined: one, ♂ 31582, from 20 mi. S Ocampo, 6500 ft., April 5, 1954, weight, 55 gms.

Concerning forms of Pygmy Owls, Miller (1955a:164) remarked that the best distinguishing characters of G. g. gnoma and californicum are tail length and wing length. The characters of No. 31582 (wing, 94 mm.; tail, 69 mm.) are clearly those of californicum and not those of gnoma. Miller (loc. cit.) remarked that he "encountered at least five different individuals, chiefly in the pine-oak at 7000 feet" and one in oaks and piñons at 5000 feet in Boquillas Canyon of the Sierra del Carmen. The size of the testes (left, 9×5 mm.; right, 7×4 mm.) of No. 31582 indicates good probability of breeding by the Pygmy Owl in the State.

**Micrathene whitneyi (Cooper).—Miller (1955a:164) heard the Elf Owl at close range in oaks at 5000 feet in Boquillas Canyon of the Sierra del Carmen on April 24.

**Speotyto cunicularia hypugaea (Bonaparte).—Specimens examined: total 3: ♀ 32043 from 3 mi. S, 9 mi. E Cuatro Ciénegas, 2250 ft., June 30, 1952; ♂ 32653 from 6 mi. W San Antonio de las Alazanas, July 5, 1955; and [** Male] 31602 from 14 mi. W San Antonio de las Alazanas, 6500 ft., January 7, 1954.

Although there are no records in Coahuila of specimens of Burrowing Owls north of 3 mi. S and 9 mi. E Cuatro Ciénegas, this owl probably occurs in the northern section of the State. The records of Burrowing Owls from the southern part of Brewster County, Texas (Van Tyne and Sutton, 1937:38), suggest such occurrence. No. 31602 was shot in a prairie dog colony; No. 32043 was captured in a steel trap. Baker saw Burrowing Owls 7 mi. S and 4 mi. E Bella Unión, 7200 feet, on June 25, 1952.

*Caprimulgus vociferus arizonae (Brewster).—Specimens examined: total 4: ♂ 31449 and ♀ 31450 from Sierra del Pino (=5 mi. S, 3 mi. W Acebuches), May 12 and 15, 1954, weights, 48 and 42 gms.; and ♂ ♂ 31028-31029 from 2 mi. N, 18 mi. W Santa Teresa, 7250 ft., April 3, 1952.

The Whip-poor-will occurs between 5000 feet and 9000 feet in Coahuila. Miller (1955a:164) reported C. v. arizonae in the Sierra del Carmen. Ridgway (1914:521) stated that Antrostomus vociferus macromystax (=C. v. arizonae) occurs in the southeastern sector of Coahuila at Sierra Guadalupe. Burleigh and Lowery (1942:190) reported the Whip-poor-will "near the summit of Diamante Pass"; because of its size (wing, 170 mm.; tail, 135 mm.) this Whip-poor-will from Diamante Pass seems to represent the subspecies arizonae. Dickerman saw four Whip-poor-wills 20 mi. S Ocampo, 6000 feet, on April 4, 1954. The sizes of the testes of Nos. 31449, 31028, and 31029 (13, 12, and 13 mm. long) and an egg taken from No. 31450 indicate breeding by this species in the State.

*Phalaenoptilus nuttallii nuttallii (Audubon).—Specimens examined: total 6: ♂ 31032 from 37 mi. S, 21 mi. E Boquillas, 4100 ft., March 12, 1952; ♂ 31446 and ♀ 31447 from Sierra del Pino (=5 mi. S, 3 mi. W Acebuches), 6200 ft., May 13, 1954; ♂ ♂ 32048-32049 from 2 mi. S, 11 mi. E Nava, June 16, 1952; and ♀ 31033 from 4 mi. W Hacienda La Mariposa, 2300 ft., March 26, 1952.

Miller (1955a:164) found the Poor-will common along the rocky canyon walls up to 5000 feet in the Sierra del Carmen. Ridgway (1914:550) recorded the Poor-will at Sabinas on May 21 and at Saltillo on May 6. Van Tyne and Sutton (1937:39) stated that P. n. nuttallii was not common in the Big Bend Country of Texas; this probably is true for northwestern Coahuila as well. The specimens from the Sierra del Pino, collected by Dickerman in a pine-oak association at 6200 feet, were taken near the upper limit of their range. Findley saw Poor-wills 2 mi. W Jiménez, 850 feet, on June 19, 1952; 2 mi. S and 11 mi. E Nava, 810 feet, on June 15, 1952; and 2 mi. S and 3 mi. E San Juan de Sabinas on June 22, 1952. Dickerman noted Poor-wills 16 mi. E and 18 mi. N Ocampo on May 7, 1954, and 20 mi. S Ocampo, 6000 feet, on April 4, 1954.