Genus CYANOMYIAS Sharpe, 1879.
Bill slightly compressed near tip, depth at nostril two-thirds of width, outline sightly concave toward the tip; rictal bristles conspicuous, the longest more than bill from nostril; wing and tail about equal, wing formula as in Hypothymis; tarsus one and one-half times the bill from nostril; feathers of head stiffish, decomposed basally and conspicuously antrorse on lores; feathers of occipital crest long and narrow.
415. CYANOMYIAS CŒLESTIS (Tweeddale).
CELESTIAL BLUE FLYCATCHER.
- Hypothymis cœlestis Tweeddale, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1877), IV, 20, 536; Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 109, pl. 7, fig. 1 (♀).
- Cyanomyias cœlestis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1879), 4, 278; Hand-List (1901), 3, 249; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 73.
Basilan (Steere Exp., McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Luzon (McGregor); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester).
Male.—General color blue; forehead, lores, and entire head and face clear cerulean blue contrasting strongly with the light cobalt-blue of back, wings, and tail; chin, throat, and fore breast deep azure-blue, becoming gradually fainter and more greenish on lower breast; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts white, washed more or less with turquoise-blue; thighs blue; rectrices black below and their inner webs black above; primaries and secondaries black, edged with blue. Iris white; eyelids light greenish yellow; bill dark blue like throat with black tip and edges; legs very dark blue; nails black. Length of a male from Basilan, 165; wing, 75; tail, 76; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 16; crest, 36.
Female.—Differs from the male in having a much shorter crest and less intense colors; top of head darker, of nearly the same shade as back and wings; throat and breast cobalt instead of azure. Wing, 73; tail, 70; bill from nostril, 15; tarsus, 16; crest, 17.
This magnificent flycatcher is very rare; it is found in small numbers, feeding and moving about in the tops of forest trees, associated with species of such genera as Hypothymis, Rhipidura, and Pardaliparus.
“A very rare bird. Found only by accident, and always with other flycatchers. Four males average: Length, 159; wing, 72; tail, 74; culmen, 16; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 15. Two females, length, 154; wing, 73; tail, 74; culmen, 16; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 16. Iris dark brown; legs and feet slaty blue, nails black; bill black at tip and along gape, elsewhere blue; eye-wattles greenish yellow.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)