Anthus rufulus Vieillot, Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. (1818), 26,
494; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1885), 10, 574; Hume, Oates
ed. Nests & Eggs Ind. Bds. (1890), 2, 213; Whitehead, Ibis (1899),
238; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 102.
Corydalla lugubris Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 547.
Tam-ba-yuc-yuc, Ticao, used for Motacilla melanope also;
a-la-lac-sing, Siquijor.
Bantayan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, Steere
Exp., McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor);
Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Cebu (Everett,
Bourns & Worcester); Fuga (McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Murray,
Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Steere Exp.); Lubang
(McGregor); Luzon (Cuming, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead,
McGregor, Bartsch); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester);
Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett,
Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker,
Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns &
Worcester, Celestino); Palawan (Everett, Celestino, White); Panaon
(Everett); Panay (Murray, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester);
Polillo (McGregor); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor);
Samar (Steere Exp.); Semirara (McGregor & Worcester); Sibuyan
(Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns &
Worcester, Celestino); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino);
Ticao (McGregor). Africa, Malay Peninsula, Burmese countries,
India, Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, Borneo.
Adult in fresh plumage.--Above sandy buff, nearly uniform on rump and
tail-coverts; upper back and top of head with dark brown shaft-lines
producing, on the head at least, a decidedly streaked appearance; lores
blackish; supercilium, from bill to nape, light buff; subocular space
buff, bounded below by a line of dark brown; malar line dark brown;
ear-coverts sandy buff; under parts cream-buff; sides and flanks sandy
buff; an ill-defined band across chest sandy buff, the feathers with
narrow, mesial, blackish streaks; wing-feathers and rectrices blackish
brown, more or less widely edged and tipped with various shades of
buff; two outer pairs of rectrices largely white. A female from Calayan
Island measures: Wing, 80; tail, 66; culmen from base, 16; tarsus,
28; hind toe with claw, 24. A female from Lubang measures: Wing, 79;
tail, 62; culmen from base, 16; tarsus, 27; hind toe with claw, 22.
As the plumage becomes worn the supercilium, subocular region, and
under parts fade to white, and the pectoral band fades to light buff.
This species is said to resemble A. richardi except in being smaller;
it is easily distinguished from any of the other pipits found in
the Philippines by the scantily streaked chest and by the uniformly
colored sides and flanks. Furthermore it is the most common species,
outnumbering, in individuals, all the other species combined.
"Enormously abundant in the open fields; it is resident throughout the
year and breeds. Four males average: Length, 167; wing, 80; tail, 65;
culmen, 18; tarsus, 28; middle toe with claw, 23. Iris dark brown;
legs and feet dirty yellow, nails darker; upper mandible dark brown
to black, under mandible light brown." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)