Birds from Coahuila, Mexico

by Emil K. Urban

**Icteria virens auricollis (Deppe).—Miller, Friedmann, Griscom, and Moore (1957:264) listed this subspecies of the Yellow-breasted Chat as recorded from Coahuila.

Wilsonia pusilla pileolata (Pallas).—Specimens examined: total 3: ♂ 31501 and ♀ 31500 from Sierra del Pino (=5 mi. S, 3 mi. W Acebuches), May 13 and 14, 1954, measurements: wing, 59, 55 mm.; tail, 50, 49 mm.; culmen, 8, 8.5 mm.; tarsus, 16, 16 mm.; weight: 6, 7 gms.; and ♂ 31663 from the north foot of Sierra Guadalupe (=10 mi. S, 5 mi. W General Cepeda), 6500 ft., April 21, 1953, measurements: wing, 58 mm.; tail, 46 mm.; culmen, 8.5 mm.; tarsus, 16 mm.; weight, 7 gms.

Wilson's Warbler is a common spring and probably fall migrant in Coahuila. Miller (1955a:173) took spring migrants of W. p. pileolata from April 9 to April 27; he found W. p. pileolata at 4800 feet and at 7000 feet. Amadon and Phillips (1947:579) saw a Wilson's Warbler at Las Delicias on August 17. Burleigh and Lowery (1942:204) found Wilson's Warbler to be the most abundant of the warblers that they recorded in southeastern Coahuila. They saw W. p. pileolata on the top of the high ridges and in the arid desert country in the southeastern section of the State. Several specimens were collected by Burleigh and Lowery (loc. cit.) including an immature male from the Chorro del Agua on April 19. Dickerman saw Wilson's Warblers 16 mi. E and 18 mi. N Ocampo on May 7, 1954, and at San Marcos (=20 mi. S Cuatro Ciénegas) on May 4, 1954. The sizes of our specimens as well as their color (bright olive-green above, bright yellow below) are typical for the subspecies pileolata.

Setophaga ruticilla ruticilla (Linnaeus).—The American Redstart seems to be uncommon in Coahuila. Miller, Friedmann, Griscom, and Moore (1957:268) listed one specimen of S. r. ruticilla from the State.

*Setophaga picta picta Swainson.—Specimens examined: total 2: sex ? 31096 from 26 mi. W Santa Teresa, 7050 ft., April 5, 1952; and ♂ 31671 from Cañon d. Meco in Sierra Guadalupe (=10 mi. S General Cepeda), April 23, 1953, weight, 11 gms.

The Painted Redstart seems to be locally common in Coahuila. Miller (1955a:173) found these warblers breeding in the Sierra del Carmen and said that they were "common from 6000 to 7500 feet in canyon bottom growth, in oaks, and in mixed pines and oaks;" however, he did not see any of these warblers above 7500 feet where conifers tended to dominate the vegetation. Marsh and Stevenson (1938:287) obtained a male Painted Redstart in annual molt on August 11 in oak and juniper forest at Vivoras Spring in the Sierra del Carmen and reported seeing two other Painted Redstarts at 9000 feet (see also Miller, 1955a:173). Dickerman also saw seven Painted Redstarts 20 mi. S Ocampo on April 4, 1954. The size of the testes (7×4 mm.) of No. 31671 suggests breeding by S. p. picta in the Sierra Guadalupe.

**Passer domesticus domesticus (Linnaeus).—Burleigh and Lowery (1942:204) remarked that the House Sparrow was not "a common bird around Saltillo" although they noticed P. d. domesticus regularly. They reported House Sparrows also from the Chorro del Agua and in the high mountain valley south of Diamante Pass. Miller, Friedmann, Griscom, and Moore (1957:275) recorded P. d. domesticus from Sabinas. Baker captured House Sparrows in a bat net 12 mi. E San Antonio de las Alazanas, 9950 feet, on July 5, 1955. Although there are no other records, the House Sparrow is probably fairly common in the villages and towns of the State.

[**Sturnella magna hoopesi Stone.—The Eastern Meadowlark is uncommon in Coahuila. The AOU Check-list Committee (1957:523) listed this subspecies of the Eastern Meadowlark from northern Coahuila.]

**Sturnella neglecta neglecta Audubon.—Specimen examined: one, ♀ 31098, from the Río Grande (=17 mi. S Dryden, Terrell Co., Texas, in Coahuila), 600 ft., March 18, 1952, weight, 71.8 gms.

This subspecies of the Western Meadowlark seems to be locally common in the open country of Coahuila. Burleigh and Lowery (1942:205) found this meadowlark common "about Saltillo" where a "small series" of S. neglecta was obtained. Miller, Friedmann, Griscom, and Moore (1957:295) recorded the Western Meadowlark from El Diamante on July 7. To my knowledge, no specific breeding records of this meadowlark from Coahuila exist.