The Siberian flycatcher must be considered a rare winter visitant to the Philippine Islands.
395. HEMICHELIDON GRISEOSTICTA Swinhoe.
GRAY-SPOTTED FLYCATCHER.
- Hemichelidon griseosticta Swinhoe, Ibis (1861), 330.
- Muscicapa griseisticta Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1879), 4, 153; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 104 (winter).
- Hemichelidon griseisticta Sharpe, Hand-List (1901), 3, 204; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 71.
Au-á, Cagayancillo.
Bohol (McGregor); Basilan (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Caluya (Porter); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cuyo (McGregor); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Schmacker, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Japan, China, Ussuri Land, New Guinea, Celebes, Moluccas.
Adult (sexes similar).—Above dusky brown; centers of feathers and head darker; wings and tail blackish brown; secondaries and wing-coverts fringed with white; below white; breast and sides of throat and of abdomen marked with wide, dusky brown shaft-streaks; middle of abdomen and under tail-coverts white; feathers of thighs brown, tipped with white. A male from Benguet measures: Length, 133; wing, 86; tail, 51; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8. A female from Culion measures: Length, 127; wing, 80; tail, 45; culmen from base, 11; bill from nostril, 7. The folded wing reaches nearly or quite to the end of the tail.
In the gray-spotted flycatcher there is some variation in the brown streaks of the under parts, but this species is not easily mistaken for any other bird except Piprisoma æruginosum which has a very differently shaped bill. The gray-spotted flycatcher is one of the commonest winter visitants and is found in small numbers throughout the islands.
“Fairly common; often seen perched on some isolated tree in the open, from which it flies now and then in pursuit of insects. Six males average: Length, 132; wing, 83.5; tail, 50; culmen, 13; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 15. Four females, length, 128; wing, 81; tail, 49; culmen, 13; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 15. Iris, legs, feet, and nails almost black; bill black, except base of lower mandible, which is yellowish or gray.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)