A Manual of Philippine Birds. Richard C. McGregor
narrow line of ashy gray; mantle, including lesser wing-coverts, dark chestnut; lower back, rump, and tail-coverts dark green; under parts yellowish green, breast more yellowish; thighs and flanks darker and greener, mixed with white; under tail-coverts cinnamon; wings black; median and greater wing-coverts and secondaries edged with yellow; some of the inner secondaries tipped with green; tail above, ashy gray with a black band some distance from the tip, but the median rectrices green and the next two partly green. “Legs and feet vary from lake-pink to coral-red; orbital skin pea-green; the irides vary from bright orange to yellowish red, with an inner, deep-blue ring more or less apparent; gape and base of upper mandible to nostril bright red; rest of bill pale yellowish, or greenish white, tipped with greenish.” (Hume.) Two males from Palawan measure: Length, 250, 260; wing, 132, 136; tail, 89, 87; culmen from base, 20, 21; tarsus, 19.8, 20.
Adult female.—Differs from the male in having the mantle dark green like lower back; under tail-coverts buffy white with large pointed shaft-marks of dark green. A female from Palawan measures: Length, 250; wing, 130; tail, 84; culmen from base, 20; tarsus, 20.
“Two females measure: Length, 210; culmen, 20; wing, 130; tail, 74; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 29. Iris with outer orange and inner brown ring; bill yellow, red at base of lower mandible.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Genus SPHENOCERCUS Gray, 1840.
This genus resembles Osmotreron, but it has a longer and more strongly graduated tail and the hard portion of the upper mandible is shorter.
12. SPHENOCERCUS AUSTRALIS McGregor.
SOUTHERN WEDGE-TAILED PIGEON.
Sphenocercus formosæ McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 9; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 9.
Sphenocercus australis McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 344.
Pú-nay, Calayan; a-ri-da-uang′, Batan.
Batan (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor).
Adult male.—General color above olive-green, lighter and grayish on neck and sides of neck; crown ochraceous-buff; lower parts uniform green from chin to abdomen; middle of abdomen white, washed with pale yellow; sides blue-gray; flanks and thighs dark olive-green, mixed with fine lines of pale yellow; under tail-coverts pale yellowish (the longest buffy), each with a wide, dark olive-green shaft-mark; shoulders maroon connected by a maroon band across the back; primaries and secondaries black; secondaries and greater coverts with narrow margins of pale yellow; inner secondaries and tail dark green like back; tail black below with a narrow gray tip. Bill light blue, the tip whitish; skin about eye blue; inner ring of eye clear blue, outer ring pink, a dusky intermediate ring; legs dull carmine, nails pale blue. Length, about 355; three specimens measure: Wing, 188 to 197; tail, 125 to 130; exposed culmen, 19 to 20; tarsus, 24 to 27; middle toe with claw, 38 to 40.
Adult female.—Differs from the male in lacking the ochraceous of crown and the maroon of shoulders and back, the entire upper parts being green. Three specimens measure: Wing, 185 to 189; tail, 118 to 125; culmen, 19 to 19.5; tarsus, 24 to 27; middle toe with claw, 35.5 to 37.5.
This species is closely related to Sphenocercus formosæ and specimens of the two species should be compared. It is not uncommon in Calayan and Camiguin. We were first led to search for it by hearing its weird, prolonged cry which is remarkably like that of a child in pain. Having located the tree in which one of these birds was resting it was difficult to see the bird as its yellowish green under parts were in perfect harmony with the color of the leafy branches.
Genus OSMOTRERON Bonaparte, 1854.
Length, 280 to 305 mm.; colors largely yellow or olive-green; primaries black; secondaries and coverts with conspicuous yellow borders; tail nearly square, moderate in length; under tail-coverts very long, equaling or slightly exceeding rectrices; bill short and moderately stout; feathers covering proximal tarsal joint.
Species.
a1. Tail green above.b1. Smaller; green of neck and breast lighter and more tinged with yellow. axillaris (p. 27)b2. Larger; green of neck and breast darker everetti (p. 28)
a2. Tail bluish slate above with a subterminal black bar vernans (p. 28)
13. OSMOTRERON AXILLARIS (Bonaparte).
PHILIPPINE GREEN PIGEON.
Treron axillaris Bonaparte, Compt. Rend. (1854), 39, 875.
Osmotreron axillaris Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 48, pl. 4; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 54; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 9.
Pú-nay, in general use.
Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Guimaras (Meyer, Murray, Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Meyer, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (McGregor); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino); Mindoro (Everett, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Steere, Everett, Keay); Panay (Murray, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (McGregor); Samar (Whitehead); Semirara (Worcester); Sibay (Porter); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Tablas (Celestino); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor).
Adult male.—Top of head and a narrow band in front of mantle pearl-gray, darker on crown; mantle and lesser coverts rich maroon, forming a wide band across the back; rest of upper parts (except wings) and lower parts, except as beyond, yellowish green, duller and greener on neck and face, darker and richer on rump and tail-coverts, lighter and yellower on lower parts; flanks and thighs dark olive-green; under tail-coverts white, their tips light yellow; wings black; inner secondaries, and median and greater coverts edged with clear lemon-yellow; outer secondaries edged with pale straw-yellow; tail black below with a wide, gray terminal band. Iris light glistening blue; bill dark red at base, bluish beyond nostrils; feet and nails lead-blue. Length, 280 to 305; three males measure: Wing, 153 to 158; tail, 98 to 100; culmen from base, 20 to 23; tarsus, 23 to 24.
Adult female.—Somewhat similar to the male but general coloration darker and greener; edging of wing-coverts paler; maroon of mantle and wings and gray band in front of mantle wanting; under tail-coverts with narrow, dark-green shaft-lines. A female from Lubang measures: Wing, 165; tail, 104; culmen from base, 21; tarsus, 22.
This very showy dove is usually found feeding in fruit trees and often in company with the smaller, congeneric species, O. vernans, but the latter is a much rarer bird.
14. OSMOTRERON EVERETTI Rothschild.
EVERETT’S GREEN PIGEON.
Osmotreron axillaris Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 48 (part).
Osmotreron everetti Rothschild, Nov. Zool. (1894), 1, 41; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 9.
Bongao (Everett); Meimbun (Everett?); Sibutu (Everett); Sulu (Burbidge, Guillemard, Everett).
“Osmotreron