Adult male.--Above orange-brown, lighter on rump and tail-coverts; lores and forehead black, shading gradually into deep reddish purple on top of head, occiput, nape, and ear-coverts; chin and throat black, shading into pink on the chest; upper breast deep scarlet, shading into lighter scarlet on rest of under parts; wings black; primaries edged with white; secondaries and secondary-coverts barred with narrow lines of white; three outer pairs of tail-feathers white with black bases; next two pairs black; middle pair light coffee-brown with black tips. Bill dark green at base; terminal half bright yellow. A male from Bohol measures: Wing, 145; tail, 181; culmen from base, 24; bill from nostril, 15. A male from Bataan Province, Luzon, measures: Wing, 143; tail, 173; culmen from base, 20; bill from nostril, 14. A male from Basilan measures: Wing, 150; tail, 187; culmen from base, 24; bill from nostril, 17.
Adult female.--Above similar to the male but head, nape, and ear-coverts olive with no trace of vinaceous color; scapulars and back olive-brown; rump and tail-coverts orange-brown as in the male; chin and throat black; rest of under parts light rusty buff, a little paler on abdomen and darker on under tail-coverts; wings similar to those of the male but the fine cross-bars light brown instead of white; tail similar to that of the male but with less white on the outer feathers. A female from Bohol measures: Wing, 135; tail, 176; culmen from base, 24; bill from nostril, 16.
Young.--The young male resembles the adult female but the brown bars on the secondaries are much wider and the black terminal bar of the middle rectrices is lacking. As the bird becomes older the vinaceous of head, and pink and scarlet of under parts, gradually appear.
"Abundant from Luzon to Basilan. Usually found in dark places in the forest. Makes a loud whirr with its wings when it flies. A stupid bird, easily shot. Five males measure, 327 in length; wing, 132; tail, 167; culmen, 21; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 23. Iris dark brown to black; legs and feet olive; nails black; base of bill green, tip yellow; flesh round eye purple." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Order COCCYGES.
CUCKOOS.
Bill stout, culmen curved, neither cered nor hooked; tail-feathers ten in number, usually long, broad, and not noticeably stiffened; outermost pair of rectrices much shorter than the others; first and fourth toes directed backward; front toes free. Nesting habits variable, some species are parasitic, while others build bulky nests and raise their young in the normal manner.
Suborder CUCULI.
Family CUCULIDÆ.
Characters same as those given for the Order.
Subfamilies.
a1. Wing longer and flatter, less curved to the body; distance from tip of wing to tip of secondaries greater than culmen or tarsus. ... Cuculinæ (p. 364) a2. Wing shorter, more rounded and curved to the body; distance from tip of wing to tip of secondaries less than either culmen or tarsus.
b1. Hind claw long and straight, lark-like. ... Centropodinæ (p. 380) b2. Hind claw short and curved. ... Phoenicophainæ (p. 387)
Subfamily CUCULINÆ.
Genera.
a1. With a long crest; tarsus almost naked. ... Clamator (p. 364) a2. Without a crest; tarsus more or less feathered at base.
b1. Secondaries shorter, in closed wing, scarcely exceeding half the length of primaries. ... Cuculus (p. 370) b2. Secondaries longer, in closed wing, equaling two-thirds the length of primaries or more.
c1. Plumage never entirely black; bill at nostril wider than deep, or at least not deeper than wide.
d1. Larger, length 300 mm. or more; plumage banded or barred, hawk-like in both sexes. ... Hierococcyx (p. 368) d2. Smaller, length 250 mm. or less.
e1. Tail slightly forked, outer feather short; plumage black with a white bar on inner webs of primaries. ... Surniculus (p. 365) e2. Tail rounded; plumage never black.
f1. Larger; tail, about 120 mm.; plumage rather dull, never metallic bronze nor violet.
g1. Young and adult differently colored; bill compressed; tail-feathers of the same length throughout. ... Cacomantis (p. 374) g2. Young and adult similar; bill stout, not compressed; tail-feathers narrower near their tips. ... Penthoceryx (p. 373)
f2. Smaller; tail, about 75 mm.; plumage bright metallic bronze or violet; abdomen strongly barred with white. ... Chalcococcyx (p. 375)
c2. Plumage entirely black in the male, barred in the female, with ten or more buff bars on the tail; length, 250 mm. or more; bill at nostril decidedly deeper than wide. ... Eudynamys (p. 377)
Genus CLAMATOR Kaup, 1829.
A pointed occipital crest; wing short and rounded, primaries extending but little beyond the secondaries; tail much longer than wing; tail-feathers graduated; sexes similar in color.
328. CLAMATOR COROMANDUS (Linnæus).
CRESTED CUCKOO.
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