Prioniturus cyaneiceps Sharpe, Ibis (1888), 194; Hand-List (1900),
2, 29; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 20, 419; McGregor
and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 49.
Balabac (Steere, Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester,
McGregor); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns &
Worcester, Celestino, White).
Male.--All of head, neck, and under parts bright verditer-blue, a
little duller below where the feathers are yellowish at base, this
when specimen is held toward the light, away from the light the blue
parts become light bluish green; under tail-coverts bright greenish
yellow and tipped with green; wings, back, and rump grass-green;
tail-spatules black, touched with green; short rectrices green, deep
blue along the shaft, tip black. Bill bluish white; legs blackish. A
male from Palawan measures: Wing, 150; tail without rackets, 77;
culmen from front margin of cere, 19.
Female.--Differs from the male in having the blue restricted to top
and sides of head and in having the lower parts uniform light green
with traces of blue; under tail-coverts deeper yellow than in the male.
Young.--"Green, with no verditer-blue shade on the head and neck;
greater wing-coverts and secondaries edged with yellowish green;
under parts yellowish green; under tail-coverts yellow, washed with
greenish; middle tail-feathers longer than the lateral ones, narrow
towards the point and entirely webbed." (Salvadori.)
"Ten males from Busuanga measure, 238 in length (exclusive of rackets,
which may attain a length of 60 to 75); wing, 154; tail, 77; culmen,
19; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 26. Seven females average,
233 in length; wing, 150; tail, 76; culmen, 19; tarsus, 15; middle
toe with claw, 26." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)