“A single male from Palawan measures, 229 in length; wing, 119; tail, 120; culmen, 23; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 19.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
330. SURNICULUS VELUTINUS Sharpe.
PHILIPPINE DRONGO CUCKOO.
- Surniculus velutinus Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. Zool. (1877), 1, 320; Shelley, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 19, 230; Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 49; Sharpe, Hand-List (1900), 2, 156; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 60.
Basilan (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Luzon (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Whitehead); Samar (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Everett, Bourns & Worcester).
“Adult.—Very closely allied to S. lugubris; tail always square, with the exception of the outer pair of feathers, which are much shorter; it differs in having the head, back, throat, and breast velvety black, with absolutely no trace of white on any of the tail-coverts, and a distinct narrow white basal edging to the tail-feathers. ‘Iris dark chocolate-brown; bill and claws black; feet bluish gray.’ (Everett.) Length, 203; culmen, 23; wing, 119; tail, 109; tarsus, 14. The sexes are similar in plumage.” (Shelley.)
“Immature.—A young bird from Basilan, two-thirds grown, is light rusty brown in color, lightest on under surface; crown and nape show metallic blue-black feathers; one of the scapulars, many feathers of rump, and all of tail same color, mostly tipped with rusty brown; wing-coverts rusty brown with faint dark shaft-markings appearing; upper surface of wing black, faintly metallic, all the feathers edged with rusty brown; under surface of body uniform light brown; wing-coverts white strongly washed with brown at tips; white spot on inner webs of primaries appearing; under surface of tail dull metallic blue, each feather with several spots of white.
“A bird nearly grown shows numerous brown feathers on head and back. Primaries washed with rusty brown, primary-coverts uniform brown. Throat, chin, and upper breast nearly black. A third has general color of adult but some feathers of head, nape, primary-coverts, breast and abdomen as well as tips of some of the secondaries are washed with rusty brown.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
“Abundant in Basilan; not uncommon in Tawi Tawi and Sulu. Found in the forest, or in second growth. Five males average, 215 in length; wing, 116; tail, 110; culmen, 23; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 21. Five females, length, 212; wing, 115; tail, 106; culmen, 23; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 20. Bill and nails black; iris black to leaden; food insects.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)