“Common among the mountains of north Luzon, and found nesting on the summit of Monte Data, where the large tracts of dead bracken ferns afford it good protection. I saw a young one nearly ready to fly on 28th of January on this mountain. This dove is also plentiful in the lowland forests, and is distributed throughout the Archipelago.” (Whitehead.)
45. MACROPYGIA PHÆA McGregor.
DARK CUCKOO DOVE.
- Macropygia phæa McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 9; Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 338; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 13.
A-la-gá-dang, Calayan.
Batan (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor).
Adult.—Similar to Macropygia tenuirostris but larger and darker; cinnamon edgings on inner primary webs and rufous edging of wing-coverts narrower or obsolete. The sexes differ as in the preceding species.
Male (type).—Bill brown with reddish base; legs dark reddish brown; nails brown; iris of three rings, outer crimson, middle black, inner straw. Length, 413; wing, 198; tail, 198; exposed culmen, 18; tarsus, 24.
Female (type).—Colors of bill, legs, and eyes as in the male. Length, 406; wing, 196; tail, 195; exposed culmen, 18; tarsus, 22.
This species is rather abundant in Calayan; in habits it does not differ from Macropygia tenuirostris. The species is rare in Batan, Batanes, where a nest containing one egg was taken, June 12. The egg is pure white and measures 37 by 27.