Pí-rot, Bohol, Siquijor; pi-pit co-gon, Manila.
Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Caluya (Porter); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Leyte (Bartsch); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Semirara (McGregor & Worcester); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor). Southern China, India Peninsula, Burmese provinces, Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, Australia, Formosa.
Adult male (May to August).—Top of head golden buff becoming dusky on hind neck; back ashy gray heavily streaked with black; lower back, rump, and tail-coverts dark tawny buff; under parts heavily washed with tawny buff, most heavily on sides and thighs; middle of breast and thighs lighter and nearly white; wing-feathers blackish brown, more or less edged with ashy gray or rusty buff; tail blackish, tipped with dark buff. A male from Bohol measures: Wing, 42; tail, 31; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 6; tarsus, 29.
Female.—Similar to the male, but top of head fulvous-brown, heavily streaked with black.
Male in non-breeding plumage resembles the female, having a streaked crown and the under parts mostly white.
Young, in first plumage, resemble the adult in non-breeding plumage, but the under parts, especially the face, throat, and breast, are washed with pale lemon-yellow.
“Three males from Sulu measure: Length, 90; wing, 40.6; tail, 35.5; culmen, 11.6; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 14. Two females, length, 97; wing, 40; tail, 36.5; culmen, 12; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 15.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Genus MEGALURUS Horsfield, 1821.
Bill small and slender, culmen gently curved; bill from nostril a little less than hind toe without claw; rictal bristles few and small; first primary more than one-half second, the latter considerably exceeded by third; fifth and sixth equal and longest; rectrices long, pointed, and much graduated, the inner ones usually considerably abraded; tail much longer than wing; tarsus long and heavy; toes short; tarsus about two-fifths of wing.