Columba humilis Temminck, Pl. Col. (1824), 259.
Turtur humilis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 434.
Onopopelia humilis Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 79.
Onopopelia humulis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 14
(error).
Bá-to ba-tó de col-lar, Manila.
Calayan (McGregor); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Cuming, Möllendorff,
Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor);
Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). China, Japan,
Indo-Chinese countries, eastern Bengal, Andamans.
Adult male.--Back, wings, and under parts nearly uniform vinaceous-red;
upper parts darker, more reddish brown; head and sides of face
light slate-gray sharply separated from color of back by a narrow,
black, nuchal band; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts blackish
slate; chin white or nearly so; vent and under tail-coverts white;
alula, primary-coverts, primaries, and secondaries blackish brown;
rectrices black below; three outer pairs with the terminal third white;
three inner pairs with terminal third pearl-gray; outermost pair with
outer web all white; middle pair brown above. Iris dark; bill, legs,
and nails black. Length, 215 to 240. Three males average: Wing, 138;
tail, 90; exposed culmen, 14; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 25.
Adult female.--Color pattern as in the male but the vinaceous-red
replaced by earthy brown; under parts paler with a faint vinaceous
wash; head brown like the back. Three females average: Wing, 128;
tail, 77; exposed culmen, 14; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 24.
Young.--The young male is like the adult female but lacks the nuchal
band and under parts have no vinaceous wash; wing-coverts and feathers
of breast tipped with yellowish brown.
The eastern ruddy dove is one of the common doves in Luzon; it is very
abundant in open lowland country where it feeds upon the ground. Like
the barred and Dussumier's doves this species is common in the vicinity
of Manila; many are sold in the markets throughout the year. In the
other islands it is very scarce.
Genus SPILOPELIA Sundevall, 1873.
Tail graduated; its outermost feather 40 mm. shorter than the central
pair; a wide band of feathers on neck with bifurcated tips.