Adult.—Similar to Oriolus steeri of Negros from which it differs in having the lores, chin, throat, and chest lighter gray and the black stripes of lower breast and abdomen narrower; inner webs of quills edged with pale yellow instead of with white; the yellow spots on inner webs of rectrices much smaller. Iris red; bill reddish brown; feet dark plumbeous. A male measures: Length, 200; wing, 111; tail, 69; culmen from base, 22.5; bill from nostril, 16; tarsus, 21. A female measures: Length, 195; wing, 106; tail, 68; culmen from base, 22; bill from nostril, 16; tarsus, 20.
Young.—Like the adult but chin, throat, and chest white, streaked with gray or black. Iris gray with very little mixture of red; bill dark brown.
“Had we known the habits of the orioles of this type as well at the beginning of our trip as we did at its close, we should doubtless have done more than we did to extend their known distribution within the Philippines. The peculiar note which they utter at frequent intervals when feeding is absolutely unmistakable, and can be heard for a considerable distance. They feed for the most part in the tops of high trees, seldom coming down into the second growth. They can, however, be readily called by imitating their note.
“Eleven males average: Length, 192; wing, 111; tail, 71; culmen, 23.8; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 23. Five females, length, 182; wing, 105; tail, 71; culmen, 23.6; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 22. Iris varies from gray to brown and red; legs and feet dark drab, nails black; bill light reddish brown.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
713. ORIOLUS CINEREOGENYS Bourns and Worcester.
GRAY-CHEEKED ORIOLE.
- Oriolus cinereogenys Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 16; Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. (1898), 20, 558, no. 304 (Tawi Tawi and Bongao).
Bongao (Everett); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester, Everett).
“In uniting the Tawi Tawi birds with O. steerii [basilanicus] from Basilan and Mindanao, Dr. Sharpe has evidently overlooked the fact that the Tawi Tawi birds invariably have the cheeks and ear-coverts clear ashy gray, while in birds from Basilan and Mindanao they are just as invariably olive-green. As we find no exception to this rule among our fourteen specimens from Basilan and twenty from Tawi Tawi we have no hesitation in separating the birds from the latter locality. It may be added that the rump of the Tawi Tawi birds is rather brighter, and the throat decidedly lighter than in Basilan birds. Not one of our Tawi Tawi birds shows the uniform gray throat of O. steerii [basilanicus]. Both species show great variability in the color of under tail-coverts. In some specimens they are pure yellow and in others heavily streaked with black. Fifteen males from Tawi Tawi measure as follows: Length, 203; culmen, 24.3; wing, 116.5; tail, 81; tarsus, 21.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
“Four females average: Length, 200; wing, 111; tail, 76; culmen, 23.3; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 21.8. Eyes usually reddish brown, but in two cases gray; legs and feet dark drab; bill reddish brown usually, in two cases black. Very common near Tataan, in Tawi Tawi.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)