Viewing page 438 of 751

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

54

Ramphocelus, Sep. 21, 1959, II.           

Both relatively soft for the call notes of a Ramphocelus.

Around 5:00 p.m. this tanager began to utter slightly more complex vocalization which appeared to be the DWS (song) of the species 3 noted "Chup chuh-wheeee." Repeated at frequent intervals. As far as I could tell, this was nothing more than a stereotyped sequence of 2 "Chup" CN's and 1 "Wheeee" CN!!!

Later on, the bird began to sing almost steadily. This gave the impression of being a sustained, nearly continuous, rather pleasant sounding, warble, at first hearing. Not too soft. But then, on further analysis, I established that it was nothing more than a jumble of CN's, both "chup" and "Wheeee" Notes, with 3-note "DWS" series, both "chup-chuh-wheeee" and "Whee whee wheeee".

Both typesof song performance were given from the usual apparently unritualized Ramphocelus singing posture.


Ramphocelus, I.   

September 22, 1959
 London Zoo

The same Brazilian Scarlet Tanager has done a little more singing this morning. All his singing so far has been a jumble of singlet and doublet "Wheeeeeee" CN's, without any of the harsher "chirps".

This bird was received in 1951, so it is certainly fully adult!