“The length of our specimens was not taken in the flesh. Average from six males: Wing, 48; tail, 31; culmen, 20; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 13. Six females, wing, 44; tail, 28; culmen, 18; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 13. Bill, iris, legs, feet, and nails black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
669. CINNYRIS JUGULARIS (Linnæus).
YELLOW-BREASTED SUNBIRD.
- Certhia jugularis Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 185.
- Cinnyris jugularis Shelley, Monogr. Nectarin. pt. 3 (1877), 151, pt. 6 (1878), pl. 48; Gadow, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1884), 9, 84; Grant and Whitehead, Ibis (1898), 243 (eggs); Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 230 (habits); McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 99.
- Cinnyris obscurior Grant, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club (1894), 3, 1; (1895), 451.
- Cyrtostomus dinagatensis Mearns, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. (1905), 18, 5.
- Cyrtostomus jugularis mindanensis Mearns, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. (1909), 36, 443.[87]
- Cyrtostomus jugularis woodi Mearns, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. (1909), 36, 444.[88]
Tam-si, Bohol; pú-si-u, Ticao and Masbate; pi-pít pú-go, Manila.
Bantayan (McGregor); Basiao, off Samar (Bartsch); Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Caluya (Porter); Camiguin S. (Murray); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Bartsch); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Bartsch); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Meyer, Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Steere, Murray, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Polillo (McGregor); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Semirara (Worcester); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor).
Male.—Above olive-green, brightest on the rump; chin, throat, and chest glossy blue-black washed with dark aster-purple; remainder of under parts gamboge-yellow, darkest next to the black chest-patch; wing-feathers dark brown, outer webs edged with olive-green, inner webs edged with white; rectrices black, two or three outer pairs tipped with white. Bill, legs, and nails black. A male from Bohol measures: Wing, 55; tail, 38; culmen from base, 19; bill from nostril, 15; tarsus, 15.
Female.—Above similar to the male; below gamboge- or lemon-yellow, whitish on the chin, and with obscure dusky mottlings on the throat, brightest yellow on middle of breast and abdomen. A female from Siquijor measures: Wing, 50; tail, 33; culmen from base, 19; bill from nostril, 15; tarsus, 15.
The young male resembles the female and from this plumage gradually acquires the black throat and chest. In many specimens (very old males?) there is more or less orange next to the black chest, while the forehead and a small area above the eye often develop a few metallic blue feathers.
“This sunbird shows great variability in the color of the breast, some specimens having an amount of orange approximating, but never quite equaling, that displayed by C. aurora. Ten males average: Length, 119; wing, 56; tail, 40; culmen, 21; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 14. Ten females, length, 114; wing, 52; tail, 36; culmen, 20; middle toe with claw, 14; tarsus, 14. Bill, legs, feet, and nails black; iris very dark brown. Breeds in February and March.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)