Balabac (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Cuming); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Porter); Palawan (Lempriere, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., White).

“Adult (type of species).—Entire head and neck, as well as the whole of the under surface of the body, rich ochraceous; upper part of back, scapulars, wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts, and tail bluish green; quills and tail-feathers rather more blue; entire back and rump silvery cobalt. Length, 330; culmen, 81; wing, 152; tail, 89; tarsus, 13.” (Sharpe.)

Iris dark brown; bill and legs bright scarlet; nails dark brown; eyelids scarlet. A male from Mindoro is 343 in length; wing, 143; tail, 89; culmen, 85; tarsus, 15.

Individuals of this species are often found near the seashore where they feed on small crabs; at other times they are fairly common in mangrove swamps. A nest found in Mindoro on April 18, 1905, was excavated in a deserted termites’ nest which was fastened to a tree at about 9 meters from the ground. The three incubated eggs were glossy white and measured 37.8 by 27.6; 39.8 by 28.9 and 39.6 by 28.9.

“In Volume XVII of the Catalogue of Birds, P. gouldi is recorded from Panay, the specimen having been collected by the Challenger expedition. This specimen seems to have been identified with some doubt as P. gigantea by Lord Walden, Proceedings of the Zoological Society (1877), 536. It would seem altogether probable that this identification was correct, as P. gigantea has since been repeatedly found in the central Philippines.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

268. PELARGOPSIS GIGANTEA Walden.
PHILIPPINE STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER.

Ba-rí-ta, Ticao.