Crackers

[Michael Gochfeld]

Chris's question made me think of all the crackers of several species 
I've seen in the Neotropics.  I can remember only ONE time that I heard 
cracking.  Back in August 1975 I visited Ed Willis' study area for bird 
populations outside of Campinas in southern Brazil.  There was a lot of 
"cracking" noise which Ed identified for me as "a 
butterfly---Hamadryas". I don't remember the species, but we could hear 
cracking several times a minute, and occasionally saw the butterflies in 
flying in erratic patterns about 10-20 feet off the ground (this was a 
dry low-canopy woodland).  Beyond that memory doesn't serve me. 

I've never seen it again. But from recollection it could have been a lek 
phenomenon--with several males displaying. 

Mike Gochfeld

 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl