Alcedo coromanda Latham, Ind. Orn. (1790), 1, 252.
Halcyon coromandus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 217;
Hand-List (1900), 2, 56; Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1903),
3, 37; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 54.
Sa-luc-sac, Calayan.
Batan (Edmonds); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor);
Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Luzon (Steere Exp., Whitehead, Bourns &
Worcester); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett,
Celestino); Mindoro (McGregor); Palawan (Whitehead, Bourns &
Worcester, White); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns
& Worcester). Sangi and Liu Kiu Islands, Indo-Chinese countries,
Malay Peninsula, eastern Himalayas, China, Japan, Korea, Formosa,
Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes.
Adult male.--Above, including wings and tail, dark rufous, heavily
washed with violet; on lower back, rump, and tail-coverts a narrow
stripe of silvery white, slightly washed with blue; below dark
cinnamon-buff, chin whitish; throat, breast, and under tail-coverts
washed with violet. Bill, legs, and nails bright coral-red; iris
brown. Length of a specimen from Camiguin, 250; wing, 116; tail, 72;
culmen from base, 57; tarsus, 15.
Female.--Much less violet wash on upper parts and very little or none
on lower parts. Length of a specimen from Calayan, 270; wing, 119;
tail, 74; culmen from base, 55; tarsus, 15.
Young.--Lower parts lighter, chin more extensively whitish, violet
wash less, and feathers of throat and breast edged with blackish
brown forming numerous small crescents.
"Probably ranges throughout the Philippines, but is as yet noted from
but few of the islands. It is sometimes found in deep woods away from
water, but more commonly along the banks of wooded streams and in
mangrove swamps. It is usually shy and hard to shoot, but in Sibuyan
two individuals of this species took up their abode in the bamboos
in our back yard, apparently attracted by the flesh of land shells
thrown out as we cleaned our specimens. In several islands where we
met with this species we obtained but a single specimen.
"Bill, legs, and feet scarlet; nails bright red or orange-red; iris
very dark brown. Food crabs, in four cases. Seven males measured,
258 in length; wing, 111; tail, 63; culmen, 58; tarsus, 15; middle toe
with claw, 25. Four females: Length, 253; wing, 109; tail, 64; culmen,
56; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 25." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)