Sitta frontalis Gadow, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 8, 358 (part).
Dendrophila frontalis Whitehead, Ibis (1893), 53; Sharpe, Hand-List
(1903), 4, 351 (part).
Sitta frontalis palawana Hartert, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club (1905),
16, 11.
Callisitta frontalis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 94.
Balabac (Steere, Everett); Palawan (Steere, Platen, Whitehead,
Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Doherty, Celestino, White).
Adult male.--Above french-blue; lores and forehead velvet-black;
a black stripe over eye, extending from the black frontal patch
to nape; under parts vinaceous-buff, chin and throat considerably
paler; abdomen and sides slightly washed with lilac; sides of head
vinaceous-buff, slightly washed with violet; a blue line under eye;
alula, primary-coverts, and primaries mostly black, some of the
feathers narrowly edged with blue; secondaries and secondary-coverts
mostly blue; rectrices blue, each feather with a large black mark
which occupies much of the inner web and part of the outer web. A
male from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, measures: Length, 127; wing, 75;
tail, 42; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 17.
Adult female.--Like the male, but with no black line over eye and
ear-coverts, although there is an indication of the line. Wing, 72;
tail, 41; culmen from base, 15.5; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 15.
"Eye straw-yellow; bill vermilion; orbital skin gray; legs light
brown." (Whitehead.)