Bill moderately depressed, depth at nostrils equal to about two-thirds of its width, or two-fifths of bill from nostril; culmen with a slight ridge; rictal and nasal bristles moderate; wing fairly long, covering when folded about two-thirds of the tail; first primary narrow, equal to one-half of second which is considerable shorter than the subequal third, fifth, and sixth; fourth primary slightly the longest; tarsus slender and equal to twice the length of exposed culmen; tail slightly rounded and considerably shorter than wing. The two Philippine species are very similar in colors; upper parts ashy brown, lower part light yellow, lores whitish.
Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindoro (McGregor); Verde (McGregor).
Adult (sexes alike).—Above, including sides of head and neck, ashy gray, with a very slight olivaceous tinge on back; lores and a line over eye whitish; under parts clear straw-yellow, deepest on chin and throat; under tail-coverts white, washed with yellow; thighs slightly ashy; wings and tail brown with light edges to the feathers; wing-coverts and upper tail-coverts like the crown; each of the rectrices except the middle pair with a white spot on inner web near tip and a preceding dusky band; edge and lining of wing pale yellow. Iris dark brown; bill black; legs dark plumbeous. A male from Laguna de Bay measures: Length, 122; wing, 51; tail, 36; culmen from base, 12.
Young.—Lubang Island, October 25, 1902. A young bird just able to fly, resembles the adult and differs only in having the under parts very much paler yellow.
This little flycatcher closely resembles the species of Zosterops in habits, but it is less common in occurrence. At times small flocks are found feeding in clumps of bamboo or in high mangrove thickets. It has a pleasing note by means of which the members of a flock are kept together. In its active movements from tree to tree it resembles the titmice, but we have never found Gerygone in forest. The type of the species was collected in Luzon by Jagor.
“The Philippine gerygone was common about bamboo clumps in the open fields of Luzon. Five males from Luzon average as follows: Wing, 51; tail, 38; culmen, 12; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 12. Five females, wing, 52; tail, 37; culmen, 12; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 16. Iris, legs, feet, and nails black; bill black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Bongao (Everett); Mindanao (Mearns); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns and Worcester).
“Adult male and female (seven specimens).—Upper parts, including entire top and sides of head, ashy brown tinged with olive; upper tail-coverts browner; sides of neck yellowish olive; tail-feathers drab, subterminally and broadly banded with blackish, tipped with drab-gray, and with a white spot near the end of the inner web of all [each of] the tail-feathers except the innermost pair; wing-coverts like the back; quills darker brown and narrowly edged with olive; whole under parts straw-yellow except the crissum which is almost white; lining and edge of wing yellowish white; thighs mixed straw-color and olive-brown; inner edge of quills whitish. Measurements of male: Wing, 50; tail, 39; culmen, 10.5; tarsus, 16.” (Mearns.)
A female from Zamboanga is the only example of this species examined by me. In this specimen the crown is slightly darker than in specimens of G. simplex from Mindoro, Luzon, and Lubang with which I have compared it. Unfortunately Mearns does not compare his species with G. simplex which is probably its nearest relative. Guillemard records a gerygone from Sulu as G. flaveola, and his specimens were, perhaps, the same as G. rhizophoræ.
Bill at nostril slightly broader than deep, slightly compressed toward the tip; rictal bristles moderate, extending half the length of bill; tarsus twice the length of bill from nostril; wings moderate in length, when folded extending nearly to tip of tail; first primary much less than one-half the length of second, the latter less than third and fourth which are subequal and longest; tail square and equal to two-thirds of wing. Sexes very different in colors, the colors of the male are yellow, black, and white.
Calayan (McGregor); Mindanao (Steere). Japan, China; in winter to northern Borneo.
Male (Japan).—Above, including wings and tail, black; a line from bill over eye to nape bright yellow; back and rump darker yellow; upper tail-coverts black; some of the inner greater wing-coverts white, forming a large patch; chin, throat, and breast bright orange-yellow, becoming paler on lower breast and flanks, and gradually disappearing, leaving the crissum pure white; sides of breast, edge of wing, and thighs black; under wing-coverts and axillars white with slate-gray bases. Wing, 78; tail, 53; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 15.
Female (Calayan Island).—Above olive-brown, more greenish on rump; upper tail-coverts and tail dull rufescent brown; wings brown, the primaries narrowly, the secondaries and coverts more widely, edged with dirty white or pale rufous-brown; lores, a line over eye, and eye-circle pale yellowish white; lower parts whitish, washed, more or less, with pale yellow which is brighter on throat; breast more or less mottled with dusky brown. Upper mandible black; lower mandible horn-blue; iris dark reddish brown; legs pale blue; nails gray. Length, 127; wing, 73; tail, 47; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 16.
“The single male specimen obtained by Steere at Dumalon, Mindanao, in 1874, is still preserved in the Museum of the University of Michigan. No others seem to have been obtained since.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
In Calayan on October 30, 1903, McGregor and Celestino took a female flycatcher which is undoubtedly a specimen of this migratory species, but it was not recorded in the report on the Calayan collection. In the field the female might be mistaken for the willow warbler or for one of the little plain-colored flycatchers, but the male would scarcely be overlooked if it were at all abundant. The species must, therefore, be considered a rare winter visitant to the Philippines.
The genus Cyanoptila is not easily distinguished from Zanthopygia. In the former genus the colors of the male are blue, black, and white; the wing formula is the same as that of Zanthopygia; tail equal to nearly three-fourths of wing; tarsus one and one-half times the length of bill from nostril.
Balabac (Everett); Palawan?55 Japan, China, Indo-Chinese countries, northwestern Borneo.
“Adult male.—General color above blue, the greater coverts uniform with the back, the lesser and median coverts brighter and more cobalt-blue, forming a shoulder patch; head still brighter and more lazuline blue, richest on the forehead; a narrow frontal line, lores, eyelid, sides of face, and entire throat and chest black; rest of under surface of body pure white, the flanks ashy; thighs black; under wing-coverts dusky brown, broadly edged with blue; the edge of the wing bright blue; primary-coverts and quills dusky brown, externally greenish blue; middle tail-feathers dark blue, the remainder blue on the outer web, black on the inner, with conspicuous white bases to the feathers. ‘Bill black; legs brown; iris black.’ (David.) Length, 140; culmen, 14; wing, 86; tail, 61; tarsus, 15.
“Observation.—A male bird from Japan, in the Leiden Museum, marked Cyanoptila cyanothorax, is a little different from the full-plumaged male, being of a greener cobalt above, and has the throat washed with greenish blue. The blue color on the head is different being brighter cobalt. Specimens from Borneo do not differ from the Japanese bird described in any important particulars; one has a gloss of blue on the throat and chest, another is more greenish blue above, while a Tingchow male has the back greenish blue, with distinct black shaft-streaks.
“Adult female.—Different from the male. Ashy brown, above, washed with pale verditer-blue on the scapulars, lower back, and upper tail-coverts; least wing-coverts bright blue as in adult male, the rest and the quills externally verditer-blue, the outermost of the greater series dull brown, edged with ashy brown and narrowly tipped with whitish; tail as in male, but rather more greenish blue; lores and anterior part of cheeks rufescent buff; ear-coverts ashy brown, with whitish shaft-lines; throat, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white; fore-neck, chest, and sides of body ashy brown; under wing-coverts and axillars ashy brown, the edge of the wing blue. ‘Bill blackish brown, legs grayish brown, iris dark brown.’ (Swinhoe.) Wing, 89; tail, 61; tarsus, 15.
“Young male.—Similar to old female, but having the back greenish blue, only the head and neck ashy brown, even the crown being slightly shaded with blue; upper tail-coverts with white edgings; wings and tail as in adult, the outer greater coverts tipped with buff; below as in female, but having the throat ochraceous, the breast washed with ocher, as also the sides of the body.” (Sharpe.)
The Japanese blue flycatcher is a rare winter visitant to the Philippine Islands.
Bill flattened and depressed for its entire length, the outline not curved inward toward the tip; depth of bill at nostril nearly two-thirds of the width; bill from nostril more than one-half the tarsus; rictal bristles conspicuous, the longest equal to bill from nostril; wings short, about equal to tail; first primary equal to one-half of third; fourth, fifth, and sixth subequal and longest; seventh greater than third; second primary shorter than the secondaries; tail slightly graduated, outermost feathers shorter than middle pair by about one-third the length of tarsus; feathers of head short and soft, occipital crest short; dominative color blue, abdomen white.
Pi-pit a-zul, Manila.
Bantayan (McGregor); Banton (Celestino); Basilan (Steere, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (Steere Exp., McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Caluya (Porter); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Steere Exp., Möllendorff, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester); Malanipa (Murray); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, Everett, Whitehead, McGregor); Negros (Layard, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor). Nicobar Islands, Malay Peninsula, Java, Borneo, Flores, Lombok, Hainan, Formosa.
Male.—General color azure-blue, brighter on head, darker on back and rump and slightly purplish on breast; a narrow line on forehead, another on chin, and a round or oval patch on back of head, velvety black; a narrow crescent of black across breast; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts white; thighs washed with blue; wings and tail black, the edges of the feathers washed with dark blue. Iris dark; bill blue, edged and tipped with black; eyelids and feet blue, nails black; inside of mouth pale greenish yellow. Length, about 160; wing, 65; tail, 65; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 15.
Female.—Differs from the male in having the back, rump, wings, and tail brown, in lacking the nuchal patch and breast crescent, and in having the blue of head and throat somewhat duller and the breast bluish gray. Length, about 150; wing, 67; tail, 65; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 15.
“We gathered a large series of specimens of this common bird with the purpose of determining whether more than one species occurred in the Philippines. It is our decided opinion, after carefully examining a large series of specimens from all parts of the Archipelago, that there is no ground whatever for attempting to separate the birds from different islands. There is a great deal of individual variation in color, but all the various phases may be found in the birds of any one locality, the coloring changing greatly with the season, as well as with age, and frequently a good deal of variation occurs even among fully adult birds shot at a given time.
“If it be granted that we are dealing with but a single species, and we fail to see how anyone can doubt it who will look over a good series of specimens, it only remains to decide what name belongs to it. Sharpe states, Catalogue of Birds (1879), 4, 276, that as the white belly is the character by which the two species are distinguished, and as this is shown clearly in Daubenton’s plate of H. azurea, he has adopted that title for the Indian bird, in spite of the fact that the plate is professedly founded on the ‘Goubemouches bleu des Philippines.’ In other words, since the bird figured shows a white belly, Doctor Sharpe thinks it must have come from India and not from the Philippines. Now, while in some of our Philippine birds the belly is washed with blue, and in two specimens is decidedly bluish, in the majority of the specimens it is pure white. We are in no position to go into the question as to whether the Indian and Philippine birds are really distinct, not having the necessary material from India for comparison, but there is most certainly no reason for thinking that the subject of Daubenton’s plate did not come from the Philippines because it has a white belly. We therefore retain his title for the Philippine bird. It is one of the commonest birds in the islands.
“Ten males average: Length, 156; wing, 69; tail, 71; culmen, 15; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 14. Five females, length, 147; wing, 67; tail, 67; culmen, 14; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 14. Bill blue in male, but often black in female; legs and feet bluish, nails black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
A nest of the black-naped flycatcher, containing three eggs, was found in Mindoro in April, it was composed of green moss and soft bits of dry bamboo leaves, and lined with fine blackish fibers. The outside was decorated with cotton-like substance from one of the fulgorid insects. The eggs were white, marked with dots of reddish brown.
A nest and two eggs found by Whitehead near Cape Engaño, Luzon, on May 24, 1895, are described as follows:
“Shape rounded ovate. Ground-color pure white, thickly speckled, especially round the larger end, with small spots and dots of brown-lake and with a few pale lilac under-markings. In general character these eggs resemble those of the tits (Paridæ). Measurements 17 mm. by 14 mm.
“Nest cup-shaped, generally placed in a forked branch among the lower growth in old forests. The structure is made of moss firmly bound together with white spider’s-web and lined with fine brown fibers.” (Grant and Whitehead.)
The black-naped flycatcher is one of the commonest of Philippine birds and is found wherever there are thickets or forest. It is more or less solitary in habits.
Bill moderately flattened as in Cyanomyias; culmen less than tarsus and equal to middle toe with claw; rictal bristles longer than bill from nostril; first primary little more than one-half of second, the latter much less than third; fifth longest and slightly longer than fourth and sixth; tail about equal to wing and slightly graduated; feathers of chin, lores, and forehead short, soft, and pile-like; feathers of crown more or less scale-like; occipital crest soft and full.
This genus is intermediate between Cyanomyias and Hypothymis; from the former it differs in lacking the greatly lengthened crest and the antrorse loral plumes, and from the latter it differs in having the feathers of crown and crest scale-like, instead of soft and velvety.
Camiguin N. (McGregor); Mindanao (Celestino); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead.)
Adult male.—General color light azure-blue; rump and upper tail-coverts lighter; breast darker; frontal line, chin, lores, and a narrow circumocular line velvety black, forming a mask which is narrowly bordered behind with bright silvery cobalt-blue, widest behind forehead and chin; middle of lower breast, abdomen, under tail-coverts, wing-lining, and axillars white; wings and tail black, the exposed edges of feathers dark azure-blue, except first and second primaries; two outermost pairs of rectrices narrowly tipped with white in old birds only. Iris brown; the narrow eyelids light blue; bill blue, except edges and tip which are black; legs and feet blue; nails blackish. Length, 154; wing, 67.5; tail, 67; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 16. In the slightly immature, but fully feathered, male the crest is less developed, the feathers of the crown are less scale-like, and the upper parts are darker blue than in the fully adult male.
Adult female.—General color dull verditer-blue; head, neck, and sides of head brighter; forehead dull cobalt; chin whitish, bordered by dull cobalt; throat, breast, and sides grayish, washed with dull azure-blue, shafts white; abdomen, flanks, under tail-coverts, and middle of lower breast white; wings and tail blackish brown, edged with dull verditer-blue. Wing, 64; tail, 64; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 17.
Young in first plumage.—Above smoky gray; below white; a dusky band across fore breast; wings and tail blackish brown; primaries and secondaries edged with verditer; outer webs of rectrices washed with verditer.
“Rare in Samar. Always found in company with other flycatchers. Four males average: Length, 137; wing, 63; tail, 62; culmen, 13; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 13. A female, length, 130; wing, 59; tail, 55; culmen, 13; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 13. Iris nearly black; legs and feet slaty blue; nails usually black, in one case bluish slate; bill blue, with black tip; eye-wattles blue. Breeding in August.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
The specimens from Camiguin Island, north of Luzon, on which was based Camiguinia personata, are slightly larger than specimens from Mindanao and the latter are probably Cyanomyias helenæ of Steere. There appears to be no ground for retaining C. personata.
Bill slightly compressed near tip, depth at nostril two-thirds of width, outline sightly concave toward the tip; rictal bristles conspicuous, the longest more than bill from nostril; wing and tail about equal, wing formula as in Hypothymis; tarsus one and one-half times the bill from nostril; feathers of head stiffish, decomposed basally and conspicuously antrorse on lores; feathers of occipital crest long and narrow.
Basilan (Steere Exp., McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Luzon (McGregor); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester).
Male.—General color blue; forehead, lores, and entire head and face clear cerulean blue contrasting strongly with the light cobalt-blue of back, wings, and tail; chin, throat, and fore breast deep azure-blue, becoming gradually fainter and more greenish on lower breast; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts white, washed more or less with turquoise-blue; thighs blue; rectrices black below and their inner webs black above; primaries and secondaries black, edged with blue. Iris white; eyelids light greenish yellow; bill dark blue like throat with black tip and edges; legs very dark blue; nails black. Length of a male from Basilan, 165; wing, 75; tail, 76; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 16; crest, 36.
Female.—Differs from the male in having a much shorter crest and less intense colors; top of head darker, of nearly the same shade as back and wings; throat and breast cobalt instead of azure. Wing, 73; tail, 70; bill from nostril, 15; tarsus, 16; crest, 17.
This magnificent flycatcher is very rare; it is found in small numbers, feeding and moving about in the tops of forest trees, associated with species of such genera as Hypothymis, Rhipidura, and Pardaliparus.
“A very rare bird. Found only by accident, and always with other flycatchers. Four males average: Length, 159; wing, 72; tail, 74; culmen, 16; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 15. Two females, length, 154; wing, 73; tail, 74; culmen, 16; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 16. Iris dark brown; legs and feet slaty blue, nails black; bill black at tip and along gape, elsewhere blue; eye-wattles greenish yellow.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Rictal bristles long and conspicuous, equal to culmen from base or longer; bill wide, depressed for most of its length, slightly compressed near tip; wing shorter than tail; first primary more than one-half of second and less than one-half of third; fourth, fifth, and sixth nearly equal, fifth longest; tail-feathers graduated, the difference between outermost and middle rectrices equal to or greater than culmen; plumage soft, that of head neither scale-like nor pile-like; colors various.
I can see no good reason why Hypothymis superciliaris Sharpe and H. samarensis Steere should not be placed in the genus Rhipidura; their long graduated tail-feathers, long stiff oral bristles, and lax plumage, as well as the similarity in the coloration of the sexes, certainly unite them with the members of Rhipidura.56
Basilan (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Platen, Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino).
Male.—Above dark verditer-blue, top of head darker; forehead and a line over each eye silvery cobalt; wings and tail black, the exposed portions of webs mostly bright cobalt; chin, throat, breast, and thighs dull smoky blue; lower breast and abdomen white, washed with blue-gray. Bill, legs, and nails black; iris brown. Length, about 165; wing, 78; tail, 78; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 14.5.
Female.—Similar to the male, but with the blue lighter and more verditer. Wing, 72; tail, 79; bill from nostril, 8.5.
“Very common in the forests of Basilan; a strictly deep woods form. Seven males average: Length, 164; wing, 78; tail, 82; culmen, 15; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 14. Two females, length, 151; wing, 76; tail, 75; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 14. Iris dark brown; bill black; legs, feet, and nails nearly black. Breeding in August in Mindanao and Basilan.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead).
Male and female.—Similar to Rhipidura superciliaris, but upper parts more verditer-blue; crown much darker, almost black.
“Fairly common in Samar. Found in deep forest in company with other flycatchers. Four males average 119 in length; wing, 61; tail, 38; culmen, 15; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 18. Iris, legs, feet, and nails dark brown; bill almost black. Breeding in July and August.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Guimaras (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Masbate (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).
Adult (sexes similar).—Head, neck, and upper back grayish blue, streaked with lighter blue on head; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dark chestnut or bay; chin, throat, breast, and entire sides of head and neck grayish blue, many of the feathers with white shafts; abdomen white; under tail-coverts light chestnut; feathers of thighs with dusky bases; primaries and secondaries blackish, the latter edged with chestnut, this color covering the entire web of two or three innermost secondaries; wing-coverts mostly grayish blue like the neck, but some of the inner ones chestnut; rectrices chestnut except innermost pair and inner webs of next pair which are blackish. Iris dark brown; bill black; legs and nails dark lead-color. Length of a male, 165; wing, 84; tail, 92; culmen from base, 14.5; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 18.
“A very showy bird. Common in the forests of the islands where it occurs. Like R. cyaniceps, it makes the most of itself. It is bold and easily killed. It is particularly abundant in Negros. Five males average 176 in length; wing, 79; tail, 88; culmen, 16; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 15. Four females, length, 152; wing, 75; tail, 82; culmen, 16; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 15.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
U-li-li-su, Benguet, Luzon.
Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Whitehead, Steere Exp., McGregor).
Adult (sexes alike).—Very similar to R. albiventris, but abdomen, flanks, and thighs cinnamon-rufous. A male measures: Wing, 75; tail, 86; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 18. A female, wing, 74; tail, 81; culmen from base, 12; tarsus, 17.
Whitehead collected a nest and two eggs of this species at Cape Engaño, Luzon, April 29, 1895, which are described as follows:
“Shape ovate. Ground-color rich cream-color. A zone of spots and small blotches round the larger end; the under-markings pale slate-gray, the over-markings darker cream-color. Measurements 19 mm. by 14 mm.
“Nest of the usual cup-shaped type made by all the species of Rhipidura, and placed on a dead bough in an open pathway in a conspicuous position.” (Grant and Whitehead.)
“Sharpe mentions a specimen of R. cyaniceps in the British Museum collected in Mindanao by Cuming. It seems to us extremely unlikely that such a bird could have been overlooked by the numerous collectors who have since visited that island, and we do not believe it exists there. Cuming does not seem to have been over particular about recording exact localities in the case of his Philippine collections, and it is not at all improbable that this record is an error.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Tablas (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).
“Adult male.—Head, crown, and nape dull bluish gray, each of the feathers of crown with a narrow, decidedly lighter, shaft-mark, lacking in feathers of nape and mantle; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, scapulars, and upper wing-coverts chestnut; wing black; tertiaries and secondaries heavily edged with chestnut; primaries lightly edged with same color; central pair of tail-feathers black, faintly edged with chestnut on basal half and with shafts black; next pair with inner webs black, outer webs chestnut, shafts black on inner side, chestnut on outer; rest of feathers of tail including shafts chestnut above and below; sides of face, ear-coverts, chin, throat, and upper breast bluish gray like the mantle; feathers of breast with distinct lighter shaft-markings; feathers of lower breast gradually changing to the chestnut of abdomen; flanks, under tail-coverts, and thighs chestnut; axillars and under wing-coverts bluish gray at base, heavily tipped with chestnut; inner webs of quills tipped with chestnut. Female like male but paler. Iris dark brown; legs and feet vary from light to very dark slaty brown; nails blackish; bill black, except base of lower mandible which is gray.
“Twelve males average 184 in length; wing, 84; tail, 91; culmen, 16; tarsus, 18. Three females, length, 174; wing, 76; tail, 83; culmen, 16; tarsus, 19.
“This is another ornithological puzzle of the Tablas-Romblon-Sibuyan group. It seems to be confined to Tablas where it is common in deep forests. It differs from R. cyaniceps, its nearest ally, in its larger size and darker blue head and in having the ochraceous buff of under parts replaced by deep chestnut.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
Tá-din, Bagobo.
Mindanao (Goodfellow, Waterstradt, Mearns).
Adult male.—Entire head, chin, and throat black, with a white line over each eye; fore breast white; rest of under parts cinnamon-rufous and lighter than the cinnamon-rufous of back and rump; wings, tail, and upper tail-coverts chestnut, but primaries and primary-coverts blackish brown, edged with chestnut. Wing, 74; tail, 85; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 17. “Iris reddish brown; bill all black; feet dark purplish gray; claws black. Length, 177.” (Mearns.)
I have not seen the female of the black and cinnamon fantail but the sexes are probably similar in colors. This fine species is found on Mount Apo.
Mindanao (Mearns).
Adult.—Similar to R. nigrocinnamomea, but with no white on the breast which is uniform cinnamon-rufous; the white lines over eyes are connected across the forehead by a wide white band.
“Iris dark brown; bill black; feet plumbeous, with claws nearly black. Skin measurements of the type (adult male) are as follows: Length, 155; wing, 78; tail, 95; culmen, 11.7; tarsus, 19.5. Skin measurements of adult female: Length, 153; wing, 73; tail, 84; culmen, 11; tarsus, 20.” (Mearns.)
This distinct species was discovered by Mearns on Mount Malindang in northwestern Mindanao.
Ba-ling-sa-say-ao, Ticao; ca-la-mang-tí-gon, Bohol; ma-ri-a-ca-pra, Manila; ma-ri-a cong cong, Laguna de Bay; ba-li-á-la, Siquijor.
Bantayan (McGregor); Banton (Celestino); Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Buluan, off Mindanao (Mearns); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Steere, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Siasi (Guillemard); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor).
Adult (sexes similar).—Above ashy gray; forehead, crown, and sides of face black; a wide white band over each eye, for the most part concealed; below white with a wide white pectoral band; abdomen and crissum washed with pale buff; feathers of thighs black, tipped with pale buff; axillars and wing-lining blackish brown edged with white; rectrices blackish brown, all but middle pair with wide white tips. Iris dark brown; bill, legs, and nails black.
“Common throughout the islands. A very showy bird, constantly opening and closing its tail, and dancing about to show its feathers. Three male birds average 190 in length; wing, 87; tail, 110; culmen, 17; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 18. Four females, length, 190; wing, 81; tail, 99; culmen, 17; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 18. Bill, legs, feet, and nails black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Two eggs collected by Steere in Marinduque, May 8, 1888, are described as follows:
“Shape ovate. Ground-color pale creamy white, with a rather wide zone round the middle composed of small blotches and spots of pale yellowish brown or lavender-gray; a few scattered spots of the same colors over the rest of the shell. Measurements 18 mm. by 14 mm.” (Grant and Whitehead.)
A set of three eggs, also collected in Marinduque by Steere, are said to be similar to the above but with the markings rather smaller. The measurements are 19 by 15.
“The two nests are of the usual cup-shaped type, constructed of tightly woven fiber and wide dead grass bound together with spiders’ webs, and neatly lined with fine grasses and black fiber.” (Grant and Whitehead.)