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50

Atlapetes, Apr. l5, 1961, III.

Every time the bird uttered a note (both "Kew"s and Keeyah"s) it raised one or both wings. (I think both, but I can't be sure of this). This raising was one slow, stiff-looking movement. No Q. The wing(s) raised well above the level of the back (and probably held out too, but I couldn't see this from my point of view). The wing(s) were apparently closed, and folded away, completely between recessive notes. The bird did WR both when it was perched and when it was moving. (The wing on the side near me looked dark underneath when raised; but this may have been an optical illusion.)
  
Apart from this WR, the bird uttering the second burst of "dawn song" did not perform any special ritualized movement. The "dawn song" was accompanied by CR and some Thflff (which were apparently maintained between notes and WR). The bird looked big-headed, with a small plump body. I think the tail was kept more or less fanned throughout. I do not remember noticing any TF's. The bird seemed to be more or less hunched throughout the performance; but I don't know if this was ritualized or not.  Aside from this slight "hunching", its postures appeared to be unritualized sitting & hopping postures.
  
I think this WR must be closely related to the Q of male Brown capped Bush-tanagers during their early morning "Tsit"-Q performances (the [[male symbol]] Brown-caps also raise the wings above the back during the Q of their "dawn songs.")
  
The bird(s) uttering both the bursts of "dawn song" this morning appeared to be quite alone, without any mate in the neighborhood. This is what would be expected.
  
All the "dawn song" of the Yellow-throats seemed to be over by 6:30 this morning. I did not see the bird(s) again later in the morning.

 

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