Notes on nighthawks of the genus Chordeiles in southern Middle America, with a description of a new race of Chordeiles minor breeding in Panamá. American Museum novitates ; no. 2094

Abstract

"A new subspecies of common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor panamensis, is described, which breeds in Panamá and probably in Costa Rica. 2. The supposedly lost type of C. virginianus aserriensis Cherrie is in the American Museum of Natural History. Oberholser's application of this name to the breeding population of south Texas is supported. 3. Reasons are advanced for treating the West Indian Nighthawk, C. gundlachii (including vicinus), as a species distinct from C. minor. 4. The distribution and variation of C. minor and C. acutipennis in Middle America are discussed. Both species probably breed in suitable habitats throughout Central America. 5. Specimens of C. acutipennis taken during the breeding season, or immediately thereafter, in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panamá resemble the South American C. a. acutipennis much more than any Mexican population. 6. Color parallelism in the two species and possible adaptation to soil color and climate are discussed"--P. 19.