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55

Ramphocelus, I              

April 30, 1960     
Barro Colorado

I have had a pair of Sangre de Toros in a separate (6 ft x 6 ft) cage by themselves, for a long time now (over a year). The male has been in full adult plumage ever since I got him. I shall call this pair "A".

This morning, I noticed that the male was giving a form of "adult song." Not really of the DWS type. Single "Keeyoo" notes repeated endlessly, occasionally alternated with a single "Kew" note (obviously just an abbreviated form of the more frequent "Keeyoo"). Comme ca: "Keeyoo Keeyoo Keeyoo Kew Keyoo Keeyoo Kew Keeyoo Keeyoo Kew Keeyoo Keeyoo Keeyoo Keyoo Kew Keeyoo Kew......(There appeared to be a slight tendency, espcially when the bird was not singing most vigorously, for the notes to be an (?) in triplets, 2 "Keeyoo's" followed by a single "Kew", but this was certainly variable. Certainly less than half the notes were arranged in triplets of this type.

[[image - sketch of bird]]]

Commonest singing posture early in the morning.

Head looking relatively large, somewhat fluffed.  

Wings meeting over back. Tail seldom depressed. Lower belly feathers not (not is underlined) conspicuously fluffed. Head frequently pointed diagonally upward.

The bill always opened and closed with each note. The male sang in this way when he was more or less separated from the female (as much as possible in their confined quarters). During the  periods he was singing he