Adult male (Calayan Island, October).—Forehead, crown, lores, chin, middle of throat, and area about eye white, dingy on top of head; neck, scapulars, and back black, glossed with purple; rump and upper tail-coverts white; chest, sides of neck, and ear-coverts vinous-chestnut or bay, extending as a narrow band onto each side of hind neck and forming a nearly complete collar; sides of breast, sides of body, and flanks ash-gray; middle of breast, abdomen, thighs, and crissum white; wings black, glossed with green; outer primaries edged with white; some of the secondaries edged with white toward the base; middle and lesser secondary-coverts, edge of wing, axillars, and wing-lining white; tail black, glossed with green; outermost pair of rectrices with outer webs white except near tips. Bill black, base of lower mandible white; iris brown; legs and feet dark green; nails brown. Length, 180; wing, 105; tail, 50; culmen from base, 18; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus, 24.
Adult female (Calayan, October).—Resembles somewhat the female of Sturnia sinensis. Upper parts dingy brown with no gloss except on wings and tail; head, rump, and tail-coverts dirty whitish; under parts white, sides of breast and of abdomen faintly gray; ear-coverts and sides of neck washed with chestnut-brown; primaries and primary-coverts black, glossed with green on the outer edges; second, third, and fourth primaries edged with white or whitish on outer webs; secondaries glossy brown, the three outer ones widely edged with white except at tips; secondary-coverts brown, the median coverts with broad white tips; alula quills black, edged with white; tail glossy blackish, outermost rectrices with whitish edges. Wing, 105; tail, 48; culmen from base, 18; tarsus, 24.
Immature (Calayan, October).—Resembles the adult female, but the upper parts more earthy brown; secondary-coverts all brown, the median series with whitish tips; under parts whitish, ashy on the sides; throat and chest streaked with dull earthy brown.
The violet-backed starling, like the next preceding species, is of irregular occurrence in these Islands. A very large flock was observed on Calayan Island in October, 1903.
“A winter migrant occasionally met with in small flocks. Three males from Tawi Tawi average: Length, 180; wing, 100; tail, 52; culmen, 17.5; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 25. Two females, length, 178; wing, 103; tail, 51; culmen, 17; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 27. Iris black; legs and feet dark olive; upper mandible black, lower black at tip, gray at base.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Genus SPODIOPSAR Sharpe, 1889.
Similar to Sturnia, but bill longer and more slender; feathers of occiput and nape lanceolate, forming a short broad crest.
Species.
- a1. Wing shorter; outer webs of primary-coverts white; bases of primaries white. sericeus (p. [713])
- a2. Wing longer; outer webs of primary-coverts seal-brown; bases of primaries brown cineraceus (p. [714])