A Manual of Philippine Birds

by Richard C. McGregor

Genus CHIBIA Hodgson, 1836.

Tail deeply forked, outermost pair of rectrices with the tips curved upward and more or less rotated. Plumage entirely black, glossed with green and blue; back velvety black with little or no blue gloss; breast black, spangled with glossy steel-green.

Species.

• a¹. Tail shorter than wing.
  • b¹. Tips of outer rectrices less recurved.
    • c¹. Smaller; wing, about 135 mm. palawanensis (p. [706])
    • c². Larger; wing, about 150 mm.
      • d¹. Bill larger. cuyensis (p. [706])
      • d². Bill smaller. borneensis (p. [707])
  • b². Tips of outer rectrices more recurved; wing, 150 mm. worcesteri (p. [707])
• a². Tail much longer than wing; outermost rectrices longer than the next pair by about twice the tarsus. menagei (p. [708])

720. CHIBIA PALAWANENSIS (Tweeddale).

PALAWAN DRONGO.

• Dicrurus palawanensis Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 614.
• Chibia palawanensis Sharpe, Ibis (1888), 199; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 107.

Balabac (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Palawan (Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, White).

Adult (sexes similar).—Above blue-black; feathers of crown with glossy scale-like tips, upper tail-coverts, wings, and tail glossy steel-green; sides of neck with glossy green, lanceolate feathers; under parts black; feathers of lower throat and chest somewhat acute and with glossy scale-like tips; the outermost rectrices slightly upturned and twisted near the tip. A male from Palawan measures: Wing, 135; tail, 125; bill from nostril, 21; depth of bill at nostril, 10; tarsus, 23; difference in length between middle and outermost rectrices, 20. A female, wing, 132; tail, 120; bill from nostril, 21.5; depth of bill at nostril, 10; tarsus, 24.