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4 

Atlapetes, I    
March 12, 1959
Barro Colorado

I caught a yellow-throated Atlapetes in my nets at Cerro Punta before leaving. Like so many other species there, they were quite silent when handled. 

When I brought them here, we banded them (1 blue and 1 red), and let them loose in the cage with the one surviving yellow-throat from my previous trip to Cerro Punta. I think that one or both of the new birds uttered a couple of single, rather liquid-sounding "chirp" notes when first released. After that I only watched them for about 5 minutes (as I wanted to let them settle down in peace). During this period there was a lot of active hopping & flying back & forth by all 3 birds; but they were all quite silent throughout Silence is obviously one of the most distinctive characters of Atlapetes I think that during these movements the old bird was more often advancing toward the new ones, and the new ones retreating before the old one, more often than the reverse; but both types of movement did occur. There were no signs of actual fighting. The old bird often stood with its feathers arranged in a rather distinctive way. Definite CR, emphasizing the white crown stripe. Yellow throat fluffed, but not ruffled; just looking swollen. (I shall call this. "Thf"). This CR and Thf is very reminiscent of brunnei-rucha; but much less extreme. The old bird combined its CR and Thf with a variety of postures. Standing high, crouching low and forward, etc. etc. All sorts of obviously

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