A Manual of Philippine Birds. Richard C. McGregor
34, 6, pl. 3 (nest).
Geopelia striata Grant and Whitehead, Ibis (1898), 246 (eggs)! error.
Ba-to ba-to tu-loc, Manila; cu-lu-cu-luc, Lubang.
Catanduanes (Whitehead); Luzon (Meyer, Heriot, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Everett, McGregor, Porter).
Adult.—A black line from gape to nape below eye; below this a white line from opposite the posterior border of eye to nape; above, general color brown; forehead and crown dark gray; below brown; chin, upper throat, and cheeks ruddy fulvous; lower breast and abdomen slightly ochraceous, much paler posteriorly; under tail-coverts dark pearl-gray; wings brown; primaries with pale edges; rectrices brown, each with a wide, terminal, gray band. Metallic reflections; specimen held toward the light, occiput, neck, sides of neck, throat, breast, sides of body, and flanks bronze-green; a blue collar on hind neck and a blue band across interscapulars; back, rump, and wing-coverts touched with purple; when specimen is held away from the light the blue bands change to green; the green of neck and lower parts becomes purple; the back, wing-coverts, tail-coverts, and rectrices are touched with violet and dark purple. Iris varies, usually mottled pinkish surrounded by a narrow white ring or a pale blue ring; bill black; legs carmine; nails horn-brown. Length, about 235. Three males average: Wing, 134; tail, 81; culmen from base, 18; tarsus, 20.
Four eggs taken by Whitehead at Cape Engaño in May, 1895, are “glossy and measure from 26.5 to 28.5 in length, and from 19.5 to 20 in breadth.” (Oates.)
“Fairly common in deep woods. Breeds in April. Legs and feet deep pink; nails brown. Length, 260; wing, 127; tail, 95; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 29.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
This species is fairly abundant in the islands where it occurs. Several nests were found in Mindoro; they were constructed of twisted plant tendrils which material gave the nests the appearance of being made of spiral springs. The nest was invariably placed in a small tree and rested on a horizontal branch at from 2 to 6 meters from the ground. Eggs and nestlings were found from April 8 to May 6.
22. PHAPITRERON OCCIPITALIS Salvadori.
BASILAN WHITE-EARED PIGEON.
Phabotreron occipitalis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 68; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55.
Phapitreron occipitalis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.
Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).
Adult (sexes similar).—“Similar to P. leucotis, but the rufous throat more vinous, and the occiput of a coppery amethystine, very conspicuous; the back and wings of a more greenish hue. ‘Iris light warm brown; bill black; feet carmine.’ (Everett.) Length, about 230; wing, 127; tail, 91; bill, 15; tarsus, 20.” (Salvadori.)
“Iris purple; legs and feet dark pink; nails brown; bill black. Length, 250; wing, 126; tail, 86; culmen, 18; tarsus, 18.5; middle toe with claw, 28. Abundant in Basilan. A deep woods bird.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
23. PHAPITRERON NIGRORUM Sharpe.
NEGROS WHITE-EARED PIGEON.
Phabotreron nigrorum Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. Zool. (1877), 1, 346, 353; Hand-List (1899), 1, 55; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 68.
Phapitreron nigrorum McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.
Tuc-mó, Masbate, Ticao, and in general use.
Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Layard, Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).
Adult.—Very similar to Phapitreron leucotis but smaller; chin, sides of face, and upper throat much paler; the white line on auricular region replaced by a wider line of pale fulvous from bill to nape. Bill black; iris gray; legs dark scarlet; nails brown. Four specimens, two of each sex, measure: Wing, 119 to 124 (122); tail, 90 to 96.5 (94); culmen from base, 17 to 18 (17.5); tarsus, 16.5 to 18 (17.5).
“Very common in the forests of the central Philippines. Iris dark brown; legs and feet dark pink; nails leaden; bill black. Length, 229 to 250; wing, 119 to 127; tail, 84 to 96; culmen, 17 to 19; middle toe with claw, 26 to 29.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
24. PHAPITRERON BREVIROSTRIS Tweeddale.
SHORT-BILLED PIGEON.
Phabotreron brevirostris Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 549; Challenger Report (1881), 2, Zool. pt. 8, pl. 6; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 69; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55.
Phapitreron brevirostris McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.
Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Mindanao (Murray, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Goodfellow, Clemens, Celestino); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Guillemard).
“Similar to P. leucotis, from which it differs in having the forehead and throat grayish fulvous, the occiput constantly amethystine, and the rectrices with a decided amethystine tinge; it resembles also P. nigrorum, especially as regards the coloring of the forehead and throat, but it differs in having the subocular streak white and the occiput more amethystine. Length, about 240; wing, 124; tail, 99; bill, 13; tarsus, 19.” (Salvadori.)
“It seems to us that there must be something wrong about the Sulu record of P. brevirostris. We obtained no pigeons of the P. leucotis type in Sulu, and the single specimen obtained by us in Tawi Tawi has been lost or destroyed, so that we are unable to identify it, but it would be indeed remarkable if P. brevirostris should give way to P. occipitalis in Basilan only to reappear in Sulu. In the face of Count Salvadori’s identification of Guillemard’s specimen, however, we have nothing to say.
“Iris purple; legs and feet deep purple; nails brown. Five birds from Samar and Siquijor average: Length, 235; wing, 122; tail, 83; culmen, 19; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 26. A female from Mindanao is larger, measuring: Length, 250; wing, 127; tail, 94; culmen, 17; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 28.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
25. PHAPITRERON ALBIFRONS McGregor.
BOHOL WHITE-EARED PIGEON.
Phabotreron brevirostris Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 69 (part).
Phapitreron albifrons McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 317.
Li-mú-con, Bohol.
Bohol (Steere Exp., McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).
Adult male (type).—General color brown, much darker above, with iridescent reflections most pronounced on nape, mantle, and breast; merging rather abruptly into dark gray of crown; occiput, nape, and sides of head ruddy brown; from gape a narrow brown line passing below eye with a wider white line underneath, both lines reaching beyond ear-coverts; chin white, gradually changing to gray on throat and ochraceous on breast and abdomen; under tail-coverts and a wide band at end of tail pale french-gray; wings uniform