A Manual of Philippine Birds. Richard C. McGregor
Hand-List (1899), 1, 146; Oates, Cat. Birds’ Eggs (1902), 2, 3; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 22.
Strepsilas interpres Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 223, fig. 50 (head).
Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (Guillemard); Cebu (McGregor); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Steere Exp.); Negros (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Everett); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester). Cosmopolitan, breeding in high northern latitudes.
“Adult male in breeding plumage.—Above black, mixed with chestnut or partly chestnut feathers on center of mantle; scapulars for the most part chestnut, but outer ones black at the ends or irregularly marked with black; accessory scapular plumes white; back and rump pure white; upper tail-coverts black, longer ones pure white; lesser wing-coverts blackish; innermost rather broadly edged with white, as also those near edge of wing; median coverts for the most part chestnut, slightly mottled with black; greater coverts blackish, narrowly margined and broadly tipped with white; alula and primary-coverts black, innermost of the latter with white tips; quills black with white shafts, and white bases to the inner primaries; secondaries for the most part white, blackish toward the ends of the feathers, these black markings decreasing gradually toward the inner secondaries, some of which are pure white, the innermost secondaries black, mottled with chestnut, like the scapulars; tail-feathers black with white bases, all but the center tail-feathers tipped with white, the black diminishing in size and forming a band toward the outer feathers, which are almost white; crown and hind neck white, the former streaked, the latter mottled with black; base of forehead and a narrow frontal line black, followed by a band of white, which unites with a broad eyebrow and is extended over ear-coverts; lores and fore part of cheeks white; feathers round eye and eyelid white, separated from the white loral patch by a narrow line of black, which unites the frontal band to a square, black patch beneath the eye, the latter joined to a malar line of black, which is connected with the sides of the neck and with the fore neck and sides of breast, all these parts being black, but nearly divided by a semi-lunar band of white, which reaches from the sides of the neck almost to the breast; throat and under surface of body from the center of chest downward, white; under wing-coverts and axillars pure white; quills below ashy whitish along the inner web. ‘Bill black; feet deep orange-red, claws black; iris hazel.’ (Audubon.) Length, 200; culmen, 23; wing, 157; tail, 58; tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 28.
“Adult female in breeding plumage.—Much duller than the male, and having the same pattern of black and white about the face, but never developing the same amount of chestnut about the back, the head and hind neck being brown, mottled with blackish centers to the feathers. Length, 216; culmen, 23; wing, 160; tail, 62; tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 25.
“Young.—Above dusky brown, all the feathers edged with sandy buff or rufous; wings and tail as in the adult; crown dark brown, streaked with sandy buff, the margins of the feathers being of this color; tail-feathers white, with a broad, subterminal band of black, decreasing in extent toward the outermost feathers, all the feathers tipped with sandy buff; throat and under surface white; lower throat, fore neck, sides of neck, and sides of breast, mottled with dusky blackish centers to the feathers, marking the black pattern of the adults, even the semi-lunar neck-band of the adults being indicated by a broad, crescentic band of sandy buff in the young.
“Winter plumage of the adult.—Above nearly uniform dusky brown, but not showing the tawny rufous margins to feathers of upper surface, the edges being ashy brown; head uniform brown like the back; hind neck and sides of neck ashy, mottled with dusky centers to the feathers; sides of face brown, with more or less white on ear-coverts; black markings on cheeks and throat as in the breeding bird, but the white semi-lunar band on the sides of the neck replaced by a patch of light brown.
“The difference between the winter plumage of the adult and the first full plumage of the young birds consists in the sandy buff margins to the feathers of the upper surface, which are very distinct in the latter at first. Afterwards they become abraded, and then there is scarcely any distinguishing mark between the winter plumages of the adult and young. In the spring the red plumage is very rapidly acquired, and I believe that it is gained quite as much by the change in the pattern of the feathers as by a direct molt.” (Sharpe.)
“Often seen in small flocks during the winter months.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Not uncommon on tide-flats in the winter months; it is easily recognized by its bright red legs.
Subfamily LOBIVANELLINÆ.
Genus MICROSARCOPS Sharpe, 1896.
A hard round knob at bend of wing; a small fleshy wattle on each side of head at base of bill; bill plover-like with a decided swelling at the tip; nostril linear in a groove; wing pointed, first and second primaries equal and largest; tarsus long, covered with large hexagonal scales which appear as transverse plates in front; front toes webbed at base; hind toe small.
89. MICROSARCOPS CINEREUS (Blyth).
GRAY-HEADED LAPWING.
Pluvianus cinerea Blyth, Jour. As. Soc. Bengal (1842), 11, 587.
Microsarcops cinereus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 133; Hand-List (1899), 1, 149; Oates, Cat. Birds’ Eggs (1902), 2, 9; McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 295.
Luzon (Guerrero). Korea and southern Japanese islands to Mongolia and northern China; southern China, Indo-Burmese countries, and northeastern Bengal in winter.
“Adult male.—Above light brown, with a slight bronzy gloss; rump, upper tail-coverts, and base of tail white; terminal third of tail black, forming a broad band, tips white with a slight subterminal shade of brown, the black band vanishing toward the outer tail-feather, which is entirely white; wing-coverts brown like the back, but a little paler; median coverts with narrow white tips, except the outer ones, which are pure white; greater coverts nearly entirely white, with brown at the extreme base, increasing in extent on the inner ones; alula dark brown; primary-coverts and quills black; secondaries pure white; outer ones dusky near the ends, inner ones externally light brown, and innermost brown like the back; crown, nape, and hind neck, as well as side of face and neck, throat, fore neck, and chest light pearly gray, with a narrow black band across the upper breast; chin rather paler gray; remainder of under surface including under wing-coverts and axillars, pure white. ‘Basal two-thirds of bill deep yellow, terminal third black; feet dull yellow, claws black; edges of eyelids and lappets deep yellow.’ (Oates.) Length, 355; culmen, 35; wing, 239; tail, 102; tarsus, 67.
“Adult female.—Similar to the male in plumage. Length, 368; culmen, 35; wing, 239; tail, 107; tarsus, 68.
“Adult in winter.—Differs from the summer plumage in having the gray of head and throat washed with brown, especially on the chest; the black band obscured by ashy or whitish tips to the feathers.” (Sharpe.)
Young male in winter.—Upper parts brown with a slight gloss, the feathers with dusky shafts; forehead and neck a trifle lighter and grayer; upper tail-coverts and tail white, rectrices with a subterminal, blackish band which is widest on central pair and absent from outermost pair; chin whitish; throat, and sides of head and neck, light brown with whitish streaks; breast brown, rest of under parts white; wing-coverts brown like the back but a little paler, median coverts with narrow white tips, except the outer ones which are pure white; greater coverts nearly entirely white, with brown at extreme base, increasing in extent on inner ones; alula dark brown; primary-coverts and quills black; secondaries white, the inner ones externally light brown and the innermost brown like the back.
This lapwing resembles a large plover, but is distinguished by having a small hind toe, a short and blunt wing-spur, and a small, fleshy wattle or lappet between the eye and the base of bill. The only Philippine specimen