decidedly shorter; hallux about as long as inner toe but much stouter; basal phalanx of middle toe united to outer toe for most of its length, to inner toe by about half its length (or less); claws moderate or rather weak, that of the hallux decidedly shorter than its digit. Plumage full and blended, that of rump and flanks more elongated and lax; feathers of pileum not elongated.
Coloration. — Plain gray, slate color, or blackish, the back with a concealed patch of white, the wing-coverts narrowly tipped with white (lateral rectrices sometimes broadly tipped with white); adult females of some species similar but throat streaked with white, of others brown above, tawny or ochraceous below.
Nidification. — Nest (of C. nigricans) composed of dry grasses, placed in fork of a low bush. Eggs mahogany color, mottled with darker shades of the same color.[1]
Range. — Southern Mexico to Cayenne, southeastern Brazil, and Peru. (About 10 species.)[2]
KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF CERCOMACRA.
a. General color black or slaty.
- b. Lateral rectrices broadly tipped with white. (Cercomacra nigricans.)
- c. General color deep black, the throat without white streaks. (Eastern Panama to Venezuela, Triuidád, and western Ecuadór.)
Cercomacra nigricans, adult male (p. 91).
- cc. General color blackish slate (more blackish beneath), the throat streaked with white
Cercomacra nigricans, adult female (p. 92).
- bb. Lateral rectrices very narrowly if at all tipped with whitish. (Cercomacra tyrannina.)
- c. Paler (slate color above, slate-gray below). (Eastern Panamá to British Guiana, western Ecuadór, etc.)
Cercomacra tyrannina tyrannina, adult male (p. 93).
- cc. Darker (slate-blackish above, slate color or blackish slate below). (Western Panamá to southeastern Mexico.)
Cercomacra tyrannina crepera, adult male (p. 95).
aa. General color olive-brownish above, tawny below.
- b. Paler
Cercomacra tyrannina tyrannina, adult female (p. 93).
- bb. Darker
Cercomacra tyrannina crepera, adult female (p. 96).
CERCOMACRA NIGRICANS Sclater.
BLACK TYRANNINE ANTBIRD.
Adult male. — Uniform deep black, relieved by white tips to wing- coverts (anterior half of lesser covert area wholly white), broad white edging to outermost feather of alula, and broad white tips to rectrices (except middle pair); feathers of back extensively white beneath surface; under wing-coverts uniform black for anterior half or more, white for posterior portion; inner webs of remiges broadly edged
(except terminally) with white; bill black; iris dark brown; legs and
