Part 91

Species.

a1. Slightly smaller. ... erythrogenys (p. 238) a2. Slightly larger. ... meridionalis (p. 239)

196. MICROHIERAX ERYTHROGENYS (Vigors).

PHILIPPINE FALCONET.

Hierax erythrogenys Vigors, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1831), 96. Microhierax erythrogenys Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1874), 1, 369; Hand-List (1899), 1, 273; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 44; McGregor, Philippine Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 323.

Bohol (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Möllendorff, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, Porter); Negros (Keay).

Adult (sexes similar).--Above, including wings and tail, black with a dark green gloss; below white; sides, thighs, and under tail-coverts black. Iris brown; bill and nails black; legs dark blue. Length of a male from Mindoro, 160; wing, 110; tail, 68; culmen from cere, 11; tarsus, 20. A male from Bohol measures: Wing, 110; tail, 63; culmen from cere, 13. A female from Luzon: Wing, 110; tail, 66; culmen from cere, 12.

Young.--The immature male resembles the adult but the inner webs of primaries are barred or mottled with white.

"Extremely local in its habits. Often found perching on a dead limb at the top of some tree, and may be met with in exactly the same place day after day. It feeds on insects and often leaves its perch on short flights in pursuit of its prey, promptly returning, however. When shot at but not killed it usually takes but a short flight, and returns at once to its favorite perch. Small flocks frequently found together.

"Iris brown; legs and feet black; bill black. Nine specimens average, 179 in length; wing, 108; tail, 62; culmen, 13; tarsus, 22; middle toe with claw, 21." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

197. MICROHIERAX MERIDIONALIS Grant.

GRANT'S FALCONET.

Microhierax meridionalis Grant, Ibis (1897), 220; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 273; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 44.

Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Celestino, Goodfellow); Samar (Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester).

"Adult male.--Similar to the male of M. erythrogenys, but considerably larger; the under wing-coverts and inner webs of the primaries uniform black; and belly, vent, and under tail-coverts washed with pale fulvous. Length, 165; wing, 113; tail, 66; culmen (from cere to tip), 13; tarsus, 22. The type of the male is from Zamboanga, southern Mindanao.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but larger. Length, 183; wing, 117; tail, 70; culmen (from cere to tip), 13; tarsus, 22. The type of the female is from the Island of Samar." (Grant.)

Grant's falconet is a species of doubtful validity, but the name may be retained until more specimens have been examined. In M. erythrogenys the white bars on the primaries are due to immaturity and are not characteristic of the typical adult male.

Genus FALCO Linnæus, 1758.

Bill stout, culmen strongly curved from front of cere to tip; a well-marked tooth in edge of upper mandible; wings long and pointed, second primary longest, the first and third but little shorter; first primary with a deep notch near its tip; legs, feet, and claws strong, middle toe long; tarsus covered on all sides with small hexagonal scales. The falcons are powerful birds, strong and rapid in flight, and easily recognized by the rapid motion of the wings.

Species.

a1. Much larger; wing more than 300 mm.

b1. Light color from breast extending forward below ear-coverts and partly separating a blackish band on side of throat from black of side of head. ... peregrinus (p. 240) b2. Light color of breast not invading the auricular region, the entire side of head, sides of throat, and ear-coverts being black.

c1. Bars on under parts black and close-set; flanks, thighs, abdomen, and under tail-coverts washed with smoky blue-gray. ... ernesti (p. 242) c2. Less closely barred below; under parts not washed with smoky blue-gray. ... melanogenys (p. 241)

a2. Much smaller; wing less than 250 mm. ... severus (p. 243)

198. FALCO PEREGRINUS Tunstall.

PEREGRINE FALCON.

Falco peregrinus Tunstall, Ornithologia Britannica (1771), 1; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 273; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1895), 3, 415; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 296; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 44. Falco communis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1874), 1, 376.

Batan (Edmonds); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Fuga (Whitehead); Luzon (Steere Exp., McGregor); Mindanao (Steere Exp.); Mindoro (Everett); Negros (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, White). Northern America, Europe, Asia; in winter, Africa and Indian Peninsula.