Cærulean Warbler, Lath. Synops. vol. iv. p. 490.
Blue-grey Fly-catcher, Muscicapa cærulea, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 164. Pl. 18. fig. 5.
Adult Male. Plate LXXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill of ordinary length, straight, subulato-conical, depressed at the base, acute; upper mandible with the edges acute and overlapping, notched close to the end, the tip slightly declinate. Head rather large. Neck short, body ovate. Legs of ordinary length; tarsus slender, compressed, scutellate before, acute behind; toes free, scutellate; claws arched, compressed, acute.
Plumage soft, blended, tufty. Basirostral bristles distinct. Wings short, much curved, the third quill longest. Tail longish, rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill bluish-black. Iris hazel. Feet greyish-blue. The general colour of the upper parts is bright blue, approaching to ultramarine, deeper on the head, and fading on the tail-coverts. Quills and primary coverts brownish-black, margined externally with blue; secondary coverts slightly tipped with greyish. Tail blackish, the lateral feathers nearly all white, the two next tipped with the same colour. A narrow band of black on the forehead, extending over the eyes. Under parts greyish-white, the sides of the neck bright blue, the sides greyish-blue.
Length 4¼ inches, extent of wings 6½; bill along the ridge ⅓, along the gap a little more than ½; tarsus 7⁄12.
Adult Female. Plate LXXXIV. Fig. 2.
The female is much duller in colouring, the bright blue of the male being in her light greyish-blue. The black band on the forehead is also wanting.