The young plumage here described is usually considered to be put on each winter even by birds that have attained the black adult plumage. It is usually referred to as the “seasonal” or “non-breeding plumage.” Blanford, however, under the closely related Centropus bengalensis says: “The second garb is called the winter or seasonal plumage by most authors, but I can find no evidence that it is ever assumed by birds that have once attained adult coloration, and there are several winter birds in the British Museum collection with the adult dress. The long upper tail-coverts appear peculiar to the immature plumage.” Fauna British India, Birds (1895), 3, 243.
“We record this species from Leyte and Bohol on the strength of British Museum specimens stated in the Catalogue of Birds to have been collected in these islands, though no mention seems to have been made of them in the Marquis of Tweeddale’s report on Mr. Everett’s collections.
“Quite common in Sulu and Tawi Tawi; not rare in the other islands indicated. Lives in the grass in open fields. Iris very dark brown; legs and feet blue-black; bill black. Food insects. Three males average, 345 in length; wing, 139; tail, 180; culmen, 24; tarsus, 36; middle toe with claw, 37. Five females, length, 368; wing, 159; tail, 199; culmen, 31; tarsus, 39; middle, toe with claw, 39.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
349. CENTROPUS MELANOPS Lesson.
BLACK-EYED COUCAL.
- Centropus melanops Lesson, Traité (1831), 137; Cassin, Ornith. Wilkes Exped. (1858), 249, atlas pl. 22, fig. 1; Shelley, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 19, 365; Sharpe, Hand-List (1900), 2, 168; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 64.
Basilan (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Whitehead); Mindanao (Peale, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, Goodfellow); Nipa (Everett); Samar (Steere Exp., Whitehead).
Adult (sexes similar).—Head, neck, mantle, and lower parts to middle of breast buff, lighter on crown and chin; forehead, lores, cheeks, and eyebrow black forming a mask; wings and scapulars bright chestnut; tips of primaries dark brown; remainder of back, tail, and under parts black, glossed with bluish green; under wing-coverts blackish. Iris red; bill, legs, and claws black. Length of a male from Basilan, 406; wing, 165; tail, 230; culmen from base, 38; tarsus, 40. A male from Bohol measures: Wing, 170; tail, 235; culmen from base, 40; tarsus, 43.
“Frequents thick tangles of vines in deep woods. Very common in Mindanao. Much rarer in Samar.
“Four males measure, 412 in length; wing, 149; tail, 209; culmen, 35; tarsus, 38; middle toe with claw, 41. Four females, length, 441; wing, 155: tail, 236; culmen, 36; tarsus, 41; middle toe with claw, 42.