A Manual of Philippine Birds

by Richard C. McGregor

Mindanao (Goodfellow, Mearns).

“Similar to St. panayensis panayensis, but the wing is about 5 mm. shorter, the feathers on the lores black to the tips, not only at the bases; the feathers on the chin and upper throat less squamiform, the bases not so blackish; the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts creamy buff, not buffy white.” (Hartert.)

A male collected on Mount Apo by Mearns measures: Length, 168; wing, 79; tail, 66; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 15.

Family CAMPOPHAGIDÆ.

Bill strong, as wide as deep at nostril, or slightly wider; culmen and cutting edge gently curved throughout their length; a small notch near tip of bill; nostrils covered by short close-set feathers; rictal and nasal bristles short and weak; wing rather long and pointed; first primary short, equal to about one-half the length of wing; second primary considerably shorter than third or fourth; tarsus moderately developed; feathers of rump with thickened shafts. In this family the bill, legs, and nails are black. The nests are built in trees, and the eggs are usually greenish blue, spotted with brown and gray.

Genera.

• a¹. Bill larger and stronger; culmen from base longer than tarsus; wing more than 150 mm.; parts of the body-plumage usually more or less barred with black and white. Artamides (p. [479])
• a². Bill smaller and more slender; culmen from base equal to, or less than, tarsus; wing less than 140 mm.; body-plumage of the adult never barred with black and white.
  • b¹. Much larger; wing more than 125 mm.
    • c¹. Wing shorter, about equal to tail; a black collar, incomplete behind. Malindangia (p. [485])
    • c². Wing considerably longer than tail; no black collar. Edolisoma (p. [486])
  • b². Much smaller; wing less than 125 mm.
    • c¹. Tarsus shorter and weaker, less than middle toe with claw; rectrices long, slender, and strongly graduated. Pericrocotus (p. [490])
    • c². Tarsus longer and stouter, more than middle toe with claw or than culmen from base; rectrices shorter and wider. Lalage (p. [494])

Genus ARTAMIDES Hartlaub, 1865.

Bill large and strong; wing considerably longer than tail; first primary little more than one-half of second, fourth longest; tarsus strong, longer than bill from nostril; tail nearly square, but outermost pair of rectrices decidedly shorter than the others. The Philippine species of Artamides are very much alike; the wings and tail are black, and the greater part of the remaining plumage is gray, but certain parts are barred with black and white in nearly all the species. The sexes are unlike and the male is slightly larger than the female. The length is usually more than 260 mm. The key to the species of Artamides is modified from the key given by Grant, Ibis (1896), 535.

Species.