“Observation.—Consul Swinhoe observes ‘that the sexes are alike, the males being more richly colored.’ This, however, holds good only with old females in breeding plumage, since in winter (as proved by all the specimens from Malacca and Borneo) the female closely resembles the young and immature birds, the black frontal band and the gray of the head and neck being replaced by the reddish brown black-barred coloration of the back, while the region above the ear-coverts and above the eye is creamy instead of reddish brown.
“Immature bird.—General color of the whole upper surface of the body reddish brown, which color is more fulvous and grayish on the head and neck, passing into chestnut-brown on the rump and upper tail-coverts; each feather has several very distinct black or dark-brown cross-bars, and is mottled with small creamy or almost white spots; again, the shafts of the feathers being white, the upper parts of the body, especially the mantle and neck, exhibit a rather densely spotted aspect, thus differing from the adult female in summer plumage; no frontal band; the forehead, the region round the eye, and ear-coverts whitish mottled with brownish; throat, middle of abdomen, under tail- and under wing-coverts uniform cream-color; all the rest of the under parts and sides of the neck densely marked with blackish brown vermiculations. Bill pale horny brown; feet more bluish.” (Gadow.)
“The tiger shrike is included in this list solely on the authority of Blasius. As it occurs in Borneo its presence in the Sulu group would not be surprising, but we failed to find it.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Genus CEPHALOPHONEUS Fitzinger, 1863.
Forehead black; crown either black or dark slate-gray; without a white eyebrow.[75]
Species.
- a1. Tail much shorter, less than 100 mm.; crown, neck, and back nearly uniform slaty gray validirostris (p. [594])
- a2. Tail much longer, more than 120 mm.; crown and neck black, back light gray.