Ceyx euerythra Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17,
179; Hand-List (1900), 2, 53; Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota
Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 45; McGregor and Worcester,
Hand-List (1906), 53.
Balabac (Everett); Bongao (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns &
Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, Schmacker, McGregor);
Palawan (Lempriere, Platen, Steere Exp., Whitehead, Bourns &
Worcester, Celestino, White); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester,
Everett). Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo.
Adult.--Above red, washed with lilac, heaviest on head and rump;
below deep yellow, strongest across the breast; chin and upper throat
white, washed with yellow; wing-coverts like the back; primaries
and secondaries black; first primary and the secondaries edged
with rufous; wing-lining yellow. "Iris dark brown; bill and feet
red." (Celestino.) Male, length, 140; wing, 58; tail, 23; culmen
from base, 40. Female, length, 140; wing, 58; tail, 24; culmen from
base, 40.
"We have fourteen specimens from Tawi Tawi, Palawan, and the Calamianes
Islands and they show some interesting plumage changes which were
for some time a puzzle to us.
"An adult pair in high plumage from the Calamianes have entire upper
surface of body red, washed with lilac, most heavily on head and
rump. Wing-coverts and scapulars like back. Secondaries rufous with
broad black shaft-stripes. Primaries black, the first rufous for
entire length of outer web and most of the others showing a small
amount of rufous at their tips. Under surface of primaries washed
with rufous on inner webs. Chin and throat white faintly tinged
with lemon-yellow. Remainder of under surface deep golden-yellow,
darkest on sides of breast and flanks. A yellowish white patch behind
ear. Under tail-coverts golden yellow, tipped with rufous. Tail uniform
bright rufous above and below. Under wing-coverts and axillars golden
yellow. Bend of wing rufous.
"This plumage we take to be typical for fully adult birds in fine
feather. Two females from Palawan agree with this description except
that in one the secondaries show rufous only on under surface of
inner webs, and that the primaries show no rufous except on basal
half of outer web of first. The under wing-coverts, axillars, and
bend of wing are light rufous instead of yellow.
"Sharpe, Ibis (1894), 246, reports an adult male of this species
from Bongao and a female from Tawi Tawi. We note certain differences
shown by our Tawi Tawi specimens, of which we have twelve. Of these
four agree with the Calamianes birds except that the scapulars show
more or less black at their bases and that the secondaries show more
of black. Among the remaining specimens, however, there are some
curious variations.
"First it is to be noted that in three fully adult birds beginning
to molt the under surface is pale dirty yellowish, the throat white.
"In two of the birds a few scattered yellow feathers are appearing
in the white of the throat. This then is the worn-out plumage of
old birds.
"A male with rich yellow under surface and white throat has some of
the scapulars entirely black, tipped with blue, the remainder being
tipped with lilac. Some of the wing-coverts are black, tipped with
blue. No rufous on primaries except on outer web of first.
"Another bird has chin and throat pure white, the breast mottled with
golden yellow and light cinnamon-rufous. Feathers of abdomen nearly
white, tips washed with rufous. Under wing-coverts and axillars
cinnamon-rufous. A little more black in the scapulars than the
preceding. Tail with broad black shaft-stripes on apical half of
under surface of feathers.
"Another specimen has chin and throat pure white. Sides of face,
breast, flanks, under wing-coverts, and axillars cinnamon-rufous,
deepest on the breast. Abdomen nearly white. A few golden-yellow
feathers appearing on breast, flanks, and abdomen. Scapulars, except
a few of the smallest, black quite broadly tipped with blue; tail
with tips of all its feathers black.
"Finally, a single specimen has under surface as in preceding except
that yellow feathers have not begun to appear. Scapulars and inner
third of inner secondaries black, the former tipped with blue, the
latter with rufous washed with lilac. Tail with apical two-thirds of
feathers black washed with rufous on edges of webs. The bill of this
last bird shows signs of immaturity, being blackish toward the tip
instead of clear scarlet.
"We were at first greatly puzzled by these birds, as the black
scapulars with their blue tips form a striking marking and with
a single exception the bills of our specimens showed no sign of
immaturity. After carefully examining the whole series, however, we
are convinced that the cinnamon-rufous under surface, tail-feathers
tipped with black, and black scapulars tipped with blue are themselves
signs of immaturity, the black gradually disappearing with age,
and yellow feathers appearing on the outer surface until the plumage
first described by us is reached. This finally becomes worn and soiled
giving the dirty yellowish under plumage already noted. Our Tawi Tawi
birds were shot late in October and early in November, Palawan birds
in December, and Calamianes birds in January and February." (Bourns
and Worcester.)
"Usually found along the banks of fresh-water streams in the forest,
not, however, strictly confined to banks of streams, but sometimes
met with in the woods away from water.
"Iris very dark brown; bill, legs, and feet scarlet. Food shrimps
and insects, in one case small lizard and crabs. Eighteen specimens
average as follows: Length, 140; wing, 58; tail, 24; culmen, 37;
tarsus, 8; middle toe with claw, 16." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)