Merops americanus P. L. S. Müller, Natursyst. Suppl. (1776), 95;
McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 56.
Merops bicolor Boddaert, Tabl. Pl. Enl. (1783), 15; Walden,
Trans. Zool. Soc. (1875), 9, 150, pl. 26, fig. 1; Sharpe,
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 17, 60; Hand-List (1900), 2, 73;
Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1903), 3, 49.
Pe-ric', Manila; pi-ley pi-ley, Lubang.
Bohol (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns
& Worcester); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Bourns &
Worcester, McGregor); Cresta de Gallo (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor);
Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon
(Meyer, Möllendorff, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor);
Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor);
Mindanao (Steere, Murray, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp.,
Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Steere Exp.,
Schmacker, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp.,
Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere, Bourns & Worcester); Samar
(Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Semirara (Worcester); Sibuyan
(McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester).
Adult (sexes alike).--Above, from bill to and including mantle
and sides of neck, bright chestnut; lower back, rump, and upper
tail-coverts clear sky-blue; a band from corner of mouth through eye
to ear-coverts black, bordered below by sky-blue; below apple-green,
lighter posteriorly and more or less mixed with blue; under
tail-coverts light blue; wings and coverts dark green; primaries
and secondaries with dusky tips and dark ocherous-buff inner webs;
long tertials tipped with dark blue; tail above dark cerulean-blue,
the lateral feathers darker than middle pair which are broadly tipped
with black; shafts black, tail brown below. Iris bright red; bill and
nails black; legs dark flesh. Length, including long tail-feathers,
about 300. Three males from Mariveles, Luzon, measure: Wing, 117 to
118; tail, without long feathers, 87; bill from nostril, 34 to 36.
"Young.--Differs from the adult in being duller and greener, the red
of the head being overshaded with green and the mantle and upper back
green; the under surface is paler, the throat and abdomen pale blue
and the breast light green." (Sharpe.)
"Nest.--Nests in level sandy strips of ground. The tunnel is some 50
mm. in diameter at its mouth and at first runs sharply downward. When
a depth of 60 to 90 cm. has been reached it turns and slopes gradually
upward for 120 to 150 cm. of its length, ending in an enlarged chamber
in which the eggs are deposited on the bare sand. The eggs are pure
white and highly polished. They are frequently nearly spherical. They
vary from 21 to 24 in length by 18 to 20 in breadth.
"Sometimes feeds singly, but is more usually found in small flocks, and
at times very large flocks gather, apparently attracted by swarms 36;
tarsus, 11; middle toe with claw, 20. Eight females, length, 267; of
bees. Six males average, 282 in length; wing, 114; tail, 100; culmen,
wing, 112; tail, 91; culmen, 34; tarsus, 11; middle toe with claw,
19." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)