Lanius lucionensis Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 135;
Walden, Trans. Zool. Soc. (1875), 9, 171, pl. 29, fig. 1; Gadow,
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 8, 274; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 226.
Otomela lucionensis Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 288; McGregor
and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 92.
Ta-ga-pa-ri, Ticao; ti-cong, Cagayancillo; te-ti-bi-as, Bantayan;
ti-ba-las, Siquijor; ta-rat or ca-bi-so-te, Manila.
Agutaya (McGregor); Balabac (Everett); Bantayan (McGregor);
Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol
(Everett, McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns
& Worcester, McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Caluya (Porter);
Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., McGregor);
Cuyo (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp., Bourns &
Worcester); Leyte (Everett, Bartsch); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon
(Möllendorff, Meyer, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead,
McGregor, Bartsch); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester);
Masbate (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao
(Everett, Steere Exp., Platen, Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow,
Celestino); Mindoro (Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor);
Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Palawan
(Whitehead, Everett, Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White); Panaon
(Everett); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon
(Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Steere Exp.); Sibay (McGregor &
Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Celestino,
Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns
& Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor);
Verde (McGregor). Mongolia, northern China, Korea, Formosa, Andaman
and Nicobar Islands, Malay Archipelago; southern India in winter.
Adult male (Bohol, April).--Lores, a narrow frontal line, and a broad
band through eye to side of neck black; forehead delicate pearl-gray,
shading gradually into earthy brown on the back and becoming more
reddish brown on the lower back and rump; chin, throat, jaw, and
middle of abdomen white; thighs pale gray; remaining under parts buff;
wing-feathers blackish; primaries whitish at their bases; axillars and
inner edges of wing-quills white; rectrices earthy brown, narrowly
tipped with whitish and obsoletely barred. Bill, legs, and nails
black. Wing, 88; tail, 87; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril,
11; tarsus, 23.
Most of the specimens taken in the Philippines, autumn and
winter, have the under parts whitish with varying amounts of dusky
vermiculations. This plumage appears to be characteristic of both
young and winter specimens.
Young birds differ from the adults in the color of the upper parts,
which are "brownish rufous, brighter on the upper tail-coverts; no gray
on the head; loral region and a superciliary streak dingy white or
cream-color; head, hind neck, mantle, and upper tail-coverts showing
faint dark vermiculations; wing-coverts and secondary quills brown,
broadly edged with rufous, each feather with a dark brown submarginal
line; ear-coverts and a small spot in front of the eye dark brown;
chin, throat, middle of abdomen, and the under wing-coverts, axillars,
and edge of wing pale creamy white; all the rest of the under parts
more strongly washed with creamy or even with rufous, and marked
with numerous dark brown cross-vermiculations; bill brown, lighter
at base." (Gadow.)
"One of the commonest of Philippine birds. Doubtless occurs on
every island of the group. Found in open fields, where it perches on
stones, weeds, bushes, etc. It is a very noisy, quarrelsome bird,
and a vicious fighter when snared or wounded. Five males average:
Length, 186; wing, 85; tail, 84; culmen, 20; tarsus, 23; middle toe
with claw, 22. Five females, length, 188; wing, 86; tail, 82.5; culmen,
20; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 21." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)