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25

Ramphocelus, I 
                              
April 27, 1958
Rio Chucunaque

The Yellow-rumps behaved this morning just the same way they did yesterday. I think I've got their calls down a little better now.

The Tss N's are typically organized into a definite complex call.  3 or 4 notes in each call [[images - (__ -  __) or (__ __ - __). The triplet-type call might be transcribed as "Tsee - uh - wuh". This "wuh" is always the terminal note. It is less high & thin than the other notes; but it does not - except in obviously ambivalent intermediate cases - have any of the extremely nasal "auh" quality of the CN.

An adult male may just sit on a branch and give these calls, which I will term TssC, again & again. Almost like "song" (or the HCN's of Blue Honeycreepers.) Without ritualized postures or movements, just standing more or less erect (A male giving these TssC's doesn't even do Flicking in most cases. Or rather he only (fleeks?) when the TssC's are interrupted by CN's.)

Another performance by adult males which is also reminiscent of song is more or less similar to the performance described yesterday p. 24. I.E. Tss-ΦR -Tss - ΦR -Tss - ΦR ..... This may go on for quite a long time. The actual length & distinctness of the ΦR element varies tremendously. This performance is also given from unritualized erect postures.

I have now seen several adult males give really long ΦR's, without Tss, when suddenly flying toward another male