A Manual of Philippine Birds

by Richard C. McGregor

The stilt, even at a considerable distance, is easily recognized by its very long, slender, red legs. I observed a solitary individual in Malamaui Island near Basilan and Celestino collected a number of specimens in northern Mindanao.

Subfamily TOTANINÆ.

Bill long, slender, usually straight, in some species gently curved; tarsus scutellate both in front and behind except in Numenius which has the back of tarsus reticulate and the bill very long and decurved; toes slightly webbed at base.

Genera.

• a¹. Tarsus transversely scaled in front, reticulated behind; culmen more than 65 mm.; bill decurved. Numenius (p. [114])
• a². Tarsus transversely scaled both in front and behind.
  • b¹. Bill decurved; culmen less than 50 mm. Mesoscolopax (p. [119])
  • b². Bill straight or slightly upturned.
    • c¹. Much larger; culmen more than 70 mm.; bill recurved and slightly exceeding tail. Limosa (p. [119])
    • c². Much smaller; culmen less than 65 mm.
      • d¹. Culmen equal to, and usually greater than, middle toe with claw.
      • d². Culmen shorter than middle toe with claw, about equal to toe without claw. Rhyacophilus (p. [130])

Genus NUMENIUS Brisson, 1760.

Back of tarsus covered with small hexagonal scales. Large wading birds with long legs; bill very long and decurved, tip of upper mandible blunt and projecting beyond the lower mandible.

Species.

• a¹. Culmen, 115 mm. or more; crown uniform in color with the back.
  • b¹. Lower back and rump white or with streaks and spots of black; axillars pure white or with traces of dusky lines. arquatus (p. [115])
  • b². Lower back and rump brown; axillars white, broadly barred with blackish. cyanopus (p. [116])
• a². Culmen, 90 mm. or less; crown blackish with a pale or whitish central vertical band. variegatus (p. [117])

99. NUMENIUS ARQUATUS (Linnæus).