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.