Cuculus fugax Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1821), 13, pt. 1, 178.
Hierococcyx fugax Shelley, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 19, 236;
Sharpe, Hand-List (1900), 2, 157; Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds'
Eggs (1903), 3, 104; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 61.
Banton (Celestino); Basilan (Bourns & Worcester); Bohol (McGregor);
Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Luzon (Heriot);
Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp.); Mindoro (McGregor, Porter); Sulu
(Bourns & Worcester). Sumatra, Java, Borneo.
Adult.--Above uniform slate-gray; end of tail bright rufous otherwise
very similar to that of H. sparverioides; below white, with a variable
amount of rufous on the breast; in some specimens the whole chest
rufous, in others only the edges of the feathers rufous; chin gray;
throat white slightly tinged with gray, and occasionally streaked
with brown or rufous; no bars on breast thus distinguishing it from
H. sparverioides. Length of male from Cagayancillo, 280; wing, 170;
tail, 151; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 18. Length of female from
Mindoro, 285; wing, 170; tail, 157; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 19.
"Immature.--Top of head gray; upper parts including wings, dark gray
barred with rufous, tail barred as in the adult with light brown,
blackish brown, and rufous, the rufous bars narrowest; under parts
white with broad, pointed, mesial stripes of blackish; edges of
feathers washed with rusty-brown; under tail-coverts white.
"Nestling.--Similar in plumage to the immature bird, with the back
brown and the markings on the breast rather larger. Length, 208
mm." (Shelley.)
"Rare and shy. Found skulking in thick bushes or under-brush, often
near water. A male measures, 286 in length; wing, 167; tail, 153;
culmen, 25; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 27. A female, length,
305; wing, 173; tail, 139; culmen, 25; tarsus, 22; middle toe with
claw, 28. Iris brown; legs, feet, and nails bright yellow. Bill with
upper mandible olive-green at base, black at tip; lower mandible
olive-green. Food beetles and other insects." (Bourns and Worcester
MS.)
Genus CUCULUS Linnæus, 1758.
Secondaries about half the length of primaries; wing long and flat;
tail shorter than wing; in adults the upper parts are nearly uniform
brown or gray, chin and throat gray; abdomen white barred with black.
Species.
a1. Tail with a subterminal black band; crown and throat grayish
contrasting with mantle and back. ... micropterus (p. 370)
a2. Tail without a subterminal black band; crown and throat gray like
the back.
b1. Larger; wing, 200 to 230 mm.; bars on breast more dusky; edge
of wing white and brown. ... canorus (p. 371)
b2. Smaller; wing, less than 200 mm.; bars on breast jet-black,
broader and more complete; edge of wing white. ... saturatus (p. 372)