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45

Tangara, I.
March 20, 1961
Barro Colorado

Watched some Plain-colored Tanagers very briefly this morning. Just after dawn.

When I first starting watching this morning, there was no bird in the nest just outside my house. Then one bird landed a few feet from the nest. Almost certainly the owner (female) of the nest. Sat and uttered quite a lot of single "Tseeet" notes. Quite different from ordinary "Tsit"s. At the same time I noticed 2 other Plains in a nearby tree. These latter 2 then flew down past the bird which had been uttering "Tseeet"s. The bird which had been uttering "Tseeet"s immediately flew after the other two, and uttered a CN Trll as it did so.
 
I am sure these "Tseeet"s must have been SN's like those of the Palm and Blue Tanagers. This single bird was presumably trying to call in the other two birds. 

(This single bird did not utter "Tseeet"s as a result of thwarted incubation drive because my presence prevented the bird from going to its nest. A few seconds later the bird returned and went to its nest without any hesitation.)

Later on, I watched an aerial chase, involving two birds (probably the incubating female and her mate). Fast and twisting. I think one or both of the birds uttered "Sreeee" or "Zreeee" notes during this chase.
 
Then the same 2 birds landed close together in a bush near the nest. One of them may have uttered something like "Duh duh duh zreee" A vestigial trace of song ????

Transcription Notes:
"plain-colored" doesn't appear to be correct, but I'm unsure what color is being referred to. "Plani"? some bird onomatopoeias I can't figure out Plain-colored Tanager - Tangara inornata -Transcribed the author's bird sounds