Birds from Coahuila, Mexico

by Emil K. Urban

*Campylorhynchus brunneicapillum couesi Sharpe.—Specimens examined: total 6: ♂ 29429 from Cañon del Cochino (=16 mi. N, 21 mi. E Piedra Blanca), 3200 ft., April 6, 1950; ♂ 31064 from 7 mi. S, 2 mi. E Boquillas, 800 ft., February 29, 1952, weight, 38.1 gms.; ♀ 31066 (skeleton only) from 10 mi. S, 5 mi. E Boquillas, 1500 ft., March 5, 1952; ♂ 31637 from La Gacha (=La Concha), December 1, 1953, weight, 40 gms.; ♂ 31638 from 18 mi. S Ocampo, December 16, 1953; and sex ? 29557 from 7 mi. S, 1 mi. E Gómez Farías, 6500 ft., November 18, 1949, weight, 41 gms.

This subspecies of the Cactus Wren occurs throughout Coahuila except in the extreme southeastern section of the State, where the subspecies C. b. guttatus occurs. Miller (1955a:169) found C. b. couesi breeding and occupying the open swales and mesas at the base of the mountains of the Sierra del Carmen. Burleigh and Lowery (1942:198) found C. brunneicapillum "to be rather scarce and decidedly local in its distribution" and observed an occasional bird "in the open desert country west of Saltillo." Miller, Friedmann, Griscom, and Moore (1957:151) recorded C. b. couesi "south to [the] vicinity of Monclova."

No. 29557 does not have any characters of C. b. guttatus; its under tail coverts and flanks have roundish black spots, rather than black bars as in C. b. guttatus.

**Campylorhynchus brunneicapillum guttatus (Gould).—This subspecies of Cactus Wren seems to occupy the extreme southeastern section of Coahuila. Miller, Friedmann, Griscom, and Moore (1957:152) recorded C. b. guttatus from Hipólito.

Telmatodytes palustris plesius (Oberholser).—Miller, Friedmann, Griscom, and Moore (1957:148) reported this subspecies of the Long-billed Marsh Wren from 8 mi. S Cuatro Ciénegas.

*Catherpes mexicanus albifrons (Giraud).—Miller (1955a:170) found this subspecies of Cañon Wren "in shaded rocky canyons and on larger cliff slopes at the base of the mountains from 4700 to 5300 feet" in the Sierra del Carmen where it nested. Burleigh and Lowery (1942:198) noted that the Cañon Wren was "decidedly uncommon" at Saltillo and obtained a male at the Chorro de Agua on April 19. Ridgway (1904:657) listed C. m. albifrons from Patos.

*Salpinctes obsoletus obsoletus (Say).—Specimens examined: total 4: ♀ 31067 from 1 mi. N Boquillas, 700 ft., March 6, 1952, weight, 16.1 gms.; ♀ 31068 from 7 mi. S, 2 mi. E Boquillas, 800 ft., March 1, 1952, weight, 18.2 gms.; sex ? 29558 from 12 mi. N, 10 mi. E Parras, 5000 ft., November 11, 1949, weight, 16.9 gms.; and ♂ 32089 from 7 mi. S, 4 mi. E Bella Unión 7200 ft., June 24, 1952.

The Rock Wren is common in Coahuila. Miller (1955a:170) found S. o. obsoletus "only in the rocky piedmont and on lower bare canyon faces" and stated that Marsh took a bird in fresh fall plumage on September 6 at El Jardín. Sutton and Burleigh (1939a:37) found the Rock Wren "near San Pedro." Burleigh and Lowery (1942:198) wrote that the subspecies obsoletus was "characteristically a bird of the arroyos of the arid plateau about Saltillo, where it was fairly common...." The large size of the testes (5×3 mm.) of No. 32089 and the date (June 24) on which it was obtained suggest breeding by the Rock Wren 7 mi. S and 4 mi. E Bella Unión.

*Mimus polyglottos leucopterus (Vigors).—Specimens examined: total 5: ♀ 31070 from 10 mi. S, 5 mi. E Boquillas, 1500 ft., March 5, 1952, weight, 55.1 gms.; ♂ ♂ 32094-32095 from 2 mi. W Jiménez, 850 ft., June 20, 1952; ♂ 32096 from 5 mi. N, 19 mi. W Cuatro Ciénegas, 3250 ft., July 5, 1952; and ♂ 33186 (skeleton only) from Parras, July 5, 1955, testes, 6×3 mm.

The Mockingbird is sparsely distributed throughout Coahuila. Miller (1955a:170) found M. p. leucopterus in the mesquite and catclaw at the base of the mountains in the Sierra del Carmen. Sutton and Burleigh (1939a:37) reported M. p. leucopterus from Diamante Pass. Amadon and Phillips (1947:578) found a young Mockingbird out of the nest begging for food from an adult on August 18 at Las Delicias. Burleigh and Lowery (1942:199) found the Mockingbird on the arid plateau "about Saltillo." Hellmayr (1934:308) listed M. p. leucopterus from Jaral. Findley saw Mockingbirds 2 mi. S and 3 mi. E San Juan de Sabinas on June 22, 1952. Dickerman saw Mockingbirds in the Sierra del Pino on May 12, 1954, and 8 mi. E and 2 mi. S Americanos on May 18, 1954. The sizes of the testes (8, 7 mm.) of Nos. 32094 and 32096, respectively, suggest breeding 2 mi. W Jiménez and 5 mi. N and 19 mi. W Cuatro Ciénegas, as does No. 32095, a juvenile.