A Manual of Philippine Birds. Richard C. McGregor

A Manual of Philippine Birds

uniform dark brown, forming a cap; hind neck like the back; lores, eyebrow, sides of face, and sides of neck dark sandy buff; throat and center of the abdomen white; remainder of under surface from the lower throat downwards pale isabelline buff, crossed with narrow wavy bars of dusky brown; lower flanks rather more uniform ashy brown; under tail-coverts more tawny, with dusky brown cross-bars; under wing-coverts and axillars uniform ashy brown, the edge of the wing white; quills uniform ashy brown below. Length, 305; culmen, 38; wing, 173; tail, 66; tarsus, 68; middle toe with claw, 91.

“Young.—Resembles the old female, but much more tawny everywhere, especially on the sides of face, neck, and under parts, the latter being much more narrowly and indistinctly barred with dusky brown than in the adult birds.” (Sharpe.)

“A male and female adult from Catanduanes in the brownish buff plumage of autumn and winter. Neither Dr. Sharpe, in his Catalogue, nor any other author, so far as I am aware, makes the slightest reference to the autumn change of plumage which is so marked in the male, only the breeding dress being described, in which the whole of the hind neck and under parts, as well as the general color of the upper parts, are black. In the fully adult male before me the whole of the under parts from the throat downward are pale buff with rather fine, somewhat wavy, brownish black bars, except on the middle of the belly, which is paler and nearly devoid of markings; the under tail-coverts have the ground-color more rufous-buff; the rest of the plumage also resembles that of the female. The latter does not appear to have any different breeding plumage, or, if she changes, the feathers are very similar to those of the autumn dress.” (Grant.)

“Abundant about paddy-fields in some localities. It nests on the ground in these fields, and the natives found a number of nests for us while cutting rice. They call the bird tug-túg from its note.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

In an adult male from Sibuyan, June 7, 1904, the head and mantle are light slate-gray with dark centers to the feathers and the lower parts are pale slate-gray with numerous light colored cross-lines. Frontal shield and bill to proximal edge of nostril scarlet; base of lower mandible scarlet; rest of bill pea-green; legs dull green; nails dark gray. Length, 432; wing, 241; tail, 86; bill from gape, 37; bill from nostril, 21; tarsus, 81; middle toe with claw, 94.

In an adult male from Guindulman, Bohol, June 3, 1906, the head, face, and lower parts are largely black and except on top of head, the greater number of the feathers are fringed with pale buff or white. Length, 419; wing, 235; tail, 87; bill from gape, 36; bill from nostril, 19; tarsus, 77; middle toe with claw, 94.

Genus PORPHYRIO Brisson, 1760.

Bill stout and very deep; nostrils circular; frontal shield broad, covering the entire forehead, its posterior border square; legs and toes very long and heavy.

71. PORPHYRIO PULVERULENTUS Temminck.

PHILIPPINE BLUE GALLINULE.

Porphyrio pulverulentus Temminck, Pl. Col. (1826), 5, pl. 405; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 207; Hand-List (1899), 1, 109; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 18.

Ac-bag′, Manila; ca-rab′ a-bu-hon′, Bohol.

Bohol (McGregor); Luzon (Steere Exp., McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult male.—General color hoary blue, lighter on head, neck, and fore breast; much darker, nearly navy blue on abdomen; crissum white; scapulars and upper back rich olive-brown or russet-brown, the feathers edged more or less with blue; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts duller brown; primaries black, their outer webs verditer-blue; short under wing-coverts blue, the longer ones black; tail blackish edged with verditer-blue.

In a male from the Manila market, March 24, 1903, the bill and shield were dusky cardinal; a space back of nostril and at base of lower mandible whitish; iris reddish brown; legs and feet reddish brown, joints dusky; nails brown. Length, 432; tail, 88; culmen from posterior margin of shield, 74; bill from gape, 41; bill from nostril, 32; tarsus, 93; middle toe with claw, 108.

Adult female.—Similar to the male. A female from Guindulman, Bohol, June 20, 1906, measures: Length, 394; wing, 236; tail, 88; culmen from posterior margin of shield, 67; bill from gape, 35; bill from nostril, 28; tarsus, 83; middle toe with claw, 99.

“Young.—Differs from the adult in being slightly duller in color, in having the quills externally washed with olive, and the breast and abdomen obscured by hoary whitish edgings to the feathers.” (Sharpe.)

“Enormously abundant in the reeds about Lake Naujan in Mindoro, but a shy bird, and one not easily obtained except by snaring.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Subfamily FULICINÆ.

Genus FULICA Linnæus, 1758.

Anterior toes with a number of rounded lobes on each side; frontal shield rounded.

72. FULICA ATRA Linnæus.

BLACK COOT.

Fulica atra Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 152; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 210; Hand-List (1899), 1, 109; Oates, Cat. Birds’ Eggs (1901), 1, 129; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 19.

U-luc′ di-á-blo, Manila.

Luzon (Heriot, McGregor). Europe, Indian Peninsula, Mediterranean countries, northern and central Asia, China, Java, Sumatra, Celebes.

Adult male.—General color above slate-gray, lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail blackish; head, neck, chin, and throat black; under side of body pale slate or smoke-gray; crissum black; edge of wing and of first primary white; under wing-coverts and axillars smoke-gray. “ ‘Bill very pale lavender, with a pinkish tinge; frontal shield ivory-white; tarsi and feet pearly gray, with a greenish tinge on the sides of the tarsus; garter orange-yellow; iris dark brown’ (R. B. S., MS). Length, 368; culmen from base of shield, 34; wing, 218; tail, 56; tarsus, 33; middle toe and claw, 78.” (Sharpe.)

Adult female.—Similar to the male. In a specimen from Laguna de Bay, Luzon, December 29, 1901, the following colors were noted: Iris dull red; frontal shield and bill white, tip pale horn-brown; feet slate; legs slate with a wash of pale green on middle of tarsi; garter-ring next to feathers dull orange. Wing, 209; tail, 61; culmen including frontal shield, 47; bill from nostril, 15; bill from gape, 32; tarsus, 59; middle toe with claw, 87.

“Young.—Much browner than the adult, feathers of head dusky blackish edged with white; lores, eyebrows, and sides of face white; under surface of body ashy whitish, browner on the flanks.” (Sharpe.)

The black coot is fairly abundant on the Laguna de Bay, Luzon, and doubtless occurs in Mindanao. This bird frequents lakes and ponds and is seldom seen on land.

Order COLYMBIFORMES.

GREBES.

Water birds with tarsus extremely flattened and legs set far back on body; neck long; plumage dense; tail-feathers very short and soft; toes lobed; toes and nails very broad and flat; hind toe small and elevated. Eggs with a white chalky surface; nest a mass of reeds near the water often floating on the water.

A Manual of Philippine Birds. Richard C. McGregor