Groove-Billed Ani and Golden-Crowned Sparrow in New Mexico

Abstract

On 4 December 1966 a Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) was observed from 14:20 to 15:30 in a suburban area of the Rio Grande Valley in the northwest section of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Eight people watched the bird from approximately 35 feet; two of them advanced to within 20 feet while photographing it. James S. Findley observed that the bird was in good plumage with the exception of the tip missing from one of the rectrices and three small spots of guano, and thought that it did not show any obvious signs of former captivity. There is no specimen known for New Mexico, although there are fall and winter records from nearby states (AOU Check-list 1957). J. S. Ligon (New Mexico Birds and Where To Find Them, pp. 140-141, 1961) lists two sight records, one in Albuquerque. There are also sight records from Santa Fe (Audubon Field Notes 19:1, 1965), and from Rattlesnake Springs, Eddy County, New Mexico, 13 November 1966 (Patricia Snider personal communication). A photograph of the bird taken 4 December 1966 is on file at the Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. On 5 January 1967 a Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) was taken from a mist net at Cedar Crest, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, a rural area at 6700 feet elevation in the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque. The bird was examined in the hand by six observers, measured and photographed, banded, and released. The crown was gold, supercilliary stripes very dark brown with a few gold feathers interspersed, upper mandible black; measurements: wing (chord) 80.2 mm, tail (quite worn) 77.0 mm. A subadult White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) netted at the same time provided a good basis for comparison; one photograph was taken of the two birds together. The Golden-crowned Sparrow was caught again 17 days later on 22 January 1967 in the same net at Cedar Crest. No specimen is known for New Mexico. There is one other record of one banded (F. and W. S. Band No. 27-178815) in Los Alamos, Los Alamos County, New Mexico, at 7500 feet elevation in the Jemez Mountains west of Santa Fe, 5 October 1959 by James R. Travis (Audubon Field Notes 14:1, 1960). Two photographs of the Cedar Crest bird are on file at the Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. I wish to thank James S. Findley for critical comments on the manuscript.