Tringa ferruginea Brünnich, Orn. Bor. (1764), 53.
Scolopax subarquata Güldenstädt, Nov. Comm. Petrop. (1774),
19, 471.
Ancylochilus subarquatus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24,
586; Hand-List (1899), 1, 164; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List
(1906), 28.
Tringa subarquata Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 278,
fig. 64 (head).
Erolia ferruginea A. O. U. Committee, Auk (1903), 20, 337.
Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead, Celestino);
Negros (Bourns & Worcester). Northern Siberia, south in winter
to Africa, Indian Peninsula, and Australia.
"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above deep bay or dark
cinnamon-rufous; varied with whitish edges to feathers, which are
mottled with black centers, taking the form of stripes on head and
back, and of cross-bars on scapulars; lower back dull ashy brown,
with whitish edges; sides of lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts
white, the latter tinged with rufous, and showing a few black bars;
wing-coverts brown, with whitish edgings, greater series tipped
with white, forming a wing-bar; some of the coverts rufous like the
back, and some of the inner secondaries also rufous on their edges;
primary-coverts and quills darker brown, the latter with white tips,
primaries dark brown with white shafts; secondaries fringed with white,
more broadly on the shorter ones, which are white at base of inner
webs; tail-feathers ashy brown, with white fringes and white shafts;
head like the back, but showing less distinct blackish centers to
the feathers; hind neck distinctly hoary, owing to the gray edgings
of feathers; sides of face and under surface rich vinous-chestnut;
with more or less distinct remains of hoary margins; vent and under
tail-coverts white, the latter tinged with rufous, and having a few
black bars; sides of body and flanks pure white, the latter with a
few black bars; under wing-coverts and axillars pure white; lower
primary-coverts and upper surface of quills light ashy. Bill and
feet black; iris hazel. Length, 188; culmen, 34; wing, 135; tail,
48; tarsus, 29; middle toe with claw, 25.
"Adult female in summer plumage.--Like the male but not so richly
colored, tint of the under surface duller chestnut, and not so
vinous. Length, 178; culmen, 35; wing, 124; tail, 46; tarsus, 29;
middle toe with claw, 25.
"Adult in winter plumage.--Ashy brown above, slightly mottled with
darker centers to the feathers; wing-coverts like the back; quills
as in the summer plumage; rump and upper tail-coverts pure white;
tail-feathers ashy brown, fringed with white, with white shafts, and
a subterminal bar of dusky blackish, the inner webs having a good deal
of white at the base; lores dusky, with a supra-loral streak of white;
under surface of body pure white, with tiny lines of dusky brown on
the sides of face, sides of neck, lower throat, and fore neck.
"Young in first autumn plumage.--Similar in general color to the winter
plumage of the adult, and distinguished by the absence of rufous
color in the plumage of the upper surface; on the under surface the
streaks on the fore neck are almost obsolete, and a fulvescent shade
overspreads fore neck and chest, in some specimens even extending
to the breast itself. On the upper surface it is very similar to
the winter plumage of the adult, but has always more distinct pale
edgings to the feathers, these being gradually fulvescent, while the
mantle is decidedly darker, being blackish, with pale margins to the
feathers." (Sharpe.)
So far as known this species is a rare winter visitant to the
Philippine Islands.
Genus TRINGA Linnæus, 1758.
Bill straight, culmen longer than tarsus, the latter exceeding middle
toe with claw; wing long and pointed, when folded reaching the tip of
tail, the latter nearly square. Pisobia is somewhat similar to this
genus but has a much shorter bill and the species are much smaller.