Part 124

BLACK-CAPPED KINGFISHER.

Alcedo pileata Boddaert, Tabl. Pl. Enl. (1783), 41. Halcyon pileatus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 229; Hand-List (1900), 2, 57; Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1903), 3, 38; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 54. Halcyon pileata Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1895), 3, 132, fig. 37 (head).

Balabac (Steere, Steere Exp., Everett); Basilan (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Ceylon, Malay Peninsula, southern India to Canara, Indo-Chinese countries to China and north to Korea, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes.

"Adult male.--General color above purplish blue on the mantle and scapulars, the center of the back and rump brighter and more purplish cobalt; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers purplish blue, the latter blackish along the inner webs and having black shafts; wing-coverts black; alula, primary-coverts, and outer aspect of quills purplish blue, the latter blackish at the ends, and with broad white bases to the inner webs; crown, sides of face, and ear-coverts black, as well as the base of the cheeks; round the hind neck a broad white collar; cheeks and throat white, extending down the center of the breast; sides of the latter, flanks, abdomen, and under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillars rich orange-buff; quills below black, with a broad white band across the base. 'Bill deep red; mouth pale red; eyelids pinkish plumbeous, covered with white feathers, except on the edges, where they are black; feet dark red, brownish in front of the tarsus; claws dark horn-color; iris dark brown.' (Oates.) Length, 279; culmen, 61; wing, 127; tail, 86; tarsus, 14.

"Adult female.--Does not differ in color from the male. Length, 279; culmen, 61; wing, 130; tail, 76; tarsus, 13.

"Young birds have dusky blackish fringes to the feathers of the breast." (Sharpe.)

"Common in Balabac, but very rare in Tawi Tawi and Basilan. The single Tawi Tawi specimen obtained was shot in the banana trees about our house on the very day of our departure, and must have been a straggler. Bill scarlet; iris very dark brown; legs and feet dark red; nails black." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

284. HALCYON WINCHELLI Sharpe.

WINCHELL'S KINGFISHER.

Halcyon winchelli Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1876), 1, 318, pl. 47; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 255; Hand-List (1900), 2, 58; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 54. Halcyon alfredi Oustalet, Le Natur. (1890), 62.

Basilan (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Goodfellow, Celestino); Negros (Whitehead); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Steere Exp.); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Everett, Bourns & Worcester).

Male.--Above, including wings and tail, deep blue; lores and a narrow collar on hind neck chestnut; a band of light blue extending backward from above eye and joining its fellow across nape; back, rump, and central tail-coverts light silvery blue; sides of head and a small patch on each side of breast dark blue; lower parts white; primaries and alula black, remainder of wing-feathers edged with blue; tail blue above, black below. Bill black, except under part of lower mandible which is white near base; feet greenish drab; nails black. Length of a male from Basilan, 255; wing, 103; tail, 75; culmen from base, 57; tarsus, 14.

Female.--Above similar to the male but blacker because of the greater restriction of blue on each feather; chestnut collar much wider; below white, washed to a greater or less extent with fawn, heaviest on breast, usually wanting on middle of abdomen. Length of a female from Basilan, 255; wing, 102; tail, 75; culmen from base, 54; bill from nostril, 46.

Young.--A specimen taken in Sibuyan indicates that the young male resembles the adult female.

"A deep-woods form, usually seen perching in trees at a considerable distance from the ground, though it goes to the ground to feed. On being surprised when feeding it flies up into the trees at once. This kingfisher seems to be fully possessed of the idea that it can sing, and may often be seen at early morning or dusk, perched 15 meters above the ground, and squawking away as if life depended on it.

"Familiarity with its habits and its note enabled us to procure it in many islands where it was not previously known. It is, however, a difficult bird to shoot at the best.

"Iris dark brown; legs and feet light greenish olive, sometimes yellowish olive; nails black; bill black except base of lower mandible which is usually white; tip of bill sometimes white; food, beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, and grubs.

"Eight males average, 247 in length; wing, 98; tail, 74; culmen, 51; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 23. Thirteen females, length, 250; wing, 100; tail, 74; culmen, 52; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 24." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

285. HALCYON CHLORIS (Boddaert).

WHITE-COLLARED KINGFISHER.

Alcedo chloris Boddaert, Tabl. Pl. Enl. (1783), 49. Halcyon chloris Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 273, pl. 7, fig. 3; Hand-List (1900), 2, 60; Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1903), 3, 41; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 55. Sauropatis chloris Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1895), 3, 135, fig. 38 (head).

Ti-ca-rol', Bohol; ba-ca-ca, Cagayancillo; tac-ca-rit, Ticao.

Bantayan (McGregor); Banton (Celestino); Basilan (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Bongao (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (Guillemard); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Caluya (Porter); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Camiguin S. (Murray); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Murray, Meyer, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Fuga (McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter), Negros (Layard, Steere, Everett, Keay, Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Murray, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (McGregor); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Semirara (McGregor & Worcester); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester, Everett); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor); Y'Ami (McGregor). Aru, Molucca, Tenimber, Lesser Sunda, and Sula Islands, Sumatra, Java, Celebes, Mysol.

Adult.--Forehead and crown greenish blue, set off by a black line which begins at lores, passes under eye to ear-coverts and meets its fellow on hind neck; this followed by a white collar; a spot of white behind each nostril; wings, back, rump, and tail blue; scapulars greenish blue like crown; rump and upper tail-coverts lighter and bluer; tail, primaries, and secondaries deeper blue; under parts all white; tail and wings blackish; wing-lining and axillars white; sexes alike in color. Iris dark brown; bill black except a wedge-shaped space on lower mandible which is pale yellow or dirty white. A male from Cagayancillo measures: Length, 240; wing, 105; tail, 70; culmen from base, 50; tarsus, 13. A female from Bohol: Length, 246; wing, 107; tail, 71; culmen from base, 52; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 27.

Young.--Immature birds have the feathers of breast, sides of neck and breast, and sometimes the white collar, edged with black or dusky brown forming crescentic marks on the breast.

"The commonest of Philippine kingfishers. Frequently observed perching on native houses in villages and very common in coconut groves. Not infrequently found fishing along small fresh-water streams in the open, less common along wooded streams. Especially abundant in mangrove swamps and along the seashore. The usual native name is 'tick-a-rool'." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

286. HALCYON HOMBRONI (Bonaparte).

HOMBRON'S KINGFISHER.