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Peabody Museum of Natural kak |
Yale University
Bulletin 15

Notes on a Collection
of Birds from

Mindoro Island, Philippines
by
S. Dillon Ripley
D. S. Rabor

PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, YALE UNIVERSITY
BULLETIN 13

Notes on a
Collection of Birds

from Mindoro Island, Philippines

BY
S. DILLON RIPLEY
Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University
AND
D.S. RABOR
Biology Department, Silliman University

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT
December 31, 1958

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

Introduction
History of bird collections on Mindoro Island
Itinerary of the trip

Description of Mindoro

Geography and climate

Geology and paleogeography

Floristic and faunal relationships of Mindoro
Vegetation types in the Mount Halcon range
Lake Naujan and its wildlife resources

Remarks on the Mindoro avifauna

Altitudinal distribution of Mindoro birds
Mangyan bird names

Annotated list of Mindoro birds
Family Podicipedidae, Grebes
Phalacrocoracidae, Cormorants, Darters
Ardeidae, Herons
Anatidae, Ducks
Accipitridae, Hawks
Falconidae, Falcons
Phasianidae, Pheasants, Quail
Turnicidae, Bustard Quail
Rallidae, Rails
Jacanidae, Jacanas
Charadriidae, Plovers
Scolopacinae, Sandpipers, Snipe
Columbidae, Pigeons, Doves
Psittacidae, Parrots
Cuculidae, Cuckoos
Strigidae, Owls
Caprimulgidae, Frogmouths, Goatsuckers
Apodidae, Swifts
Apodinae, Swifts
Hemiprocninae, Crested or Tree Swifts
Alcedinidae, Kingfishers
Meropidae, Bee-eaters
Coraciidae, Rollers
Bucerotidae, Hornbills

“I Ot Ot ® 09

10
15

NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

Picidae, Woodpeckers

Pittidae, Pittas

Hirundinidae, Swallows

Laniidae, Shrikes

Oriolidae, Orioles

Dicruridae, Drongos

Artamidae, Shallow-shrikes

Sturnidae, Starlings

Corvidae, Crows

Campephagidae, Cuckoo-shrikes

Pycnonotidae, Bulbuls

Muscicapidae, Babblers, Flycatchers, Warblers, ‘Thrushes
Muscicapinae, Flycatchers
Monarchinae, Monarch Flycatchers
Pachycephalinae, Thickheads or Shrike-billed Flycatchers
Sylviinae, Warblers
‘Turdinae, Thrushes

Paridae, Titmice

Motacillidae, Wagtails

Dicaeidae, Flowerpeckers

Nectariniidae, Sunbirds

Zosteropidae, Whiteyes

Ploceidae, Weaverbirds

Literature cited

INTRODUCTION

The 1954 Yale Peabody Museum-Silliman University Mindoro Zoologi-
cal Expedition, headed by D. S. Rabor, stayed in the field from March 2]
until June 7, 1954. The party, which consisted of Silliman University Biol-
ogy Department faculty, students and assistants, actually collected in the field
from March 28 until May 28. The death of one member of the party on May
28 in Manila, where he was flown for treatment of his ailment four days
earlier, cut short the field work.

D. S. Rabor expresses his gratitude to the John Simon Guggenheim Me-
morial Foundation and to the United Board for Christian Higher Educa-
tion in Asia for the fellowship grants that have enabled him to come to the
United States to work on this and other projects on Philippine birds. He is
likewise grateful to Yale University for an additional research fellowship
grant and for facilities at the Peabody Museum of Natural History. We are
indebted to the authorities of the American Museum of Natural History and
of the United States National Museum for the loan of comparative materials.

History OF BirD COLLECTIONS ON MINDORO ISLAND

Among the important collectors of Philippine birds who included Min-
doro as one of their collecting localities, may be mentioned the Steere Expe-
dition, Schmacker, Platen, Bourns and Worcester, Everett, Whitehead,
Mearns, Mounsey, and Porter. In addition, there were also several collectors
who were officially connected with the Philippine Bureau of Science and
later, the Philippine National Museum, the entities in charge of conducting
the study of the Philippine avifauna. Among them were R. C. McGregor,
Andres Celestino, Francisco S. Rivera, Manuel Celestino (son of Andres and
at present still collecting for the National Museum), C. G. Manuel, and
D. S. Rabor.

Among these collectors, Whitehead will always be remembered for the
discovery of Ducula mindorensis and Bourns and Worcester for Centropus
steeret and Geokichla cinerea, three of the four endemic species in Min-
doro. Another endemic species, Dicaewm retrocinctum, secured by an un-
known collector, was described by Gould.

Collections of birds in the Mount Halcon range were made by Worcester
in April, 1891, Whitehead from October, 1895 until February, 1896, and by
Mearns in November, 1906. Others like McGregor, A. Celestino, M. Celes-
tino, F. S. Rivera and D. S. Rabor earlier, made collections at the base and
foothills of the Halcon range but not at high altitudes.

Several attempts were made by various parties to climb to the top of the
highest summit of the Mount Halcon Range. Some of these were solely for
the prestige of reaching the highest point of this range, and others were for
the collection of natural history materials for study, as well as for the inci-
dental success of reaching the top.

Whitehead in 1895-1896 (Ogilvie-Grant, 1896: 457-477), followed the
eastern approach by way of the Baco and Dulangan rivers and succeeded in
reaching an altitude of only 6000 feet. Most of Whitehead’s collections were

2 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

made on the slopes and ridges of Dulangan Peak, which was still a long way
from the main peak. (For the routes of the various expedition parties that
worked in the Mount Halcon range, see Plate 1.)

Merrill and Mearns (Merrill, 1907:179-203) succeeded in reaching the
summit of the Mount Halcon range in November, 1906. ‘They made the
climb by way of the northwest approach, following the courses (at least for
part of the way) of the Subaang and Alag rivers. Collections of zoological,
botanical and geological materials were made on this trip.

Our 1954 Expedition approached the Halcon range by way of the south-
east, for part of the way, and later followed the Bugayan-Ilong Peak trail,
which was located on the ridge south of and opposite the ridge of Dulangan
Peak, and separated from it by a very deep gorge. Collections were made be-

tween 3000 and 6500 feet on the slopes and ridges of Ilong Peak.

ITINERARY OF THE TRIP

March 21 Departure by steamer from Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental,
via Manila, for Calapan, Mindoro.

March 26 Arrival in Calapan, Mindoro, Departure by truck for Alcate, Vic-
toria. Arrival in Makatok, Victoria; end of the road acces-
sible by truck.

March 27 Arrival in Alcate by tractor and on foot. Camp 1 established.

March 28-April |

April 12

April 13-May 19

Collecting carried on from Camp 1. 50-200 feet altitude.
Departure by truck for San Luis, Naujan. Camp 2 established.

Collecting carried on from Camp 2 either by whole party or part
of it. 50-100 feet altitude.

April 17 Departure on foot of two-thirds of the party for Barawanan Peak.
Camp 3 established (2500 feet altitude).
Camp 4 established (4500 feet altitude).
April 18-28 Collecting carried on from Camps 3 and 4. 2500-4800 feet alti-
tude.
April 29 Return to Camp 2.
April 30 Departure on foot of two-thirds of party for long Peak. Night
in Bugayan, a Mangyan village, 2000 feet altitude.
May 1 Arrival on foot at Hong Peak.
May 1-14 Collecting carried on from Camp 5 covering neighboring peaks.
3000-6500 feet altitude.
May 15 Departure for Camp 2.
May 16-19 Collecting carried on by entire party from Camp 2.
May 20 Departure by truck for Barrio Lumangbayan, Naujan.
May 21 Departure by launch for Lake Naujan, about 20 kilometers up
the river.
Camp 6 established in Bambang, on the north shore of the lake.
May 21-28 Collecting in and around Lake Naujan from Camp 6. 25 feet
elevation.
May 29 Departure by truck, launch, truck, steamer via Calapan, Min-
doro, to Batangas, Batangas, to Manila, to Dumaguete City,
Negros Oriental.
June 7 Arrival at Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

DESCRIPTION OF MINDORO
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

Mindoro is a compact island lying south of Luzon and oriented in a gen-
eral trend of north 20° west. It is located between latitudes 12° and 14°
north and longitudes 120° and 122° east. Latitude 13° north and longitude
121° east intersect near the center of the island.

From a distance two dominant peaks can be seen standing out promi-
nently from the rest of the extensive central mountain range. Mount Halcon,
altitude about 2,580 meters (8504 feet) represents the culmination of the
Mount Halcon range in the north central part of the island. Mount Baco, al-
titude about 2487 meters (8200 feet) stands in the central portion.

The central part of the island is characterized by rugged, high mountain
topography, most of the mountains still being densely covered with virgin
forest. Where most of the larger islands of the Philippines have already lost
their original forest, including that on their mountains, Mindoro has still
retained a great deal of original forest on its mountains, and on a large area
of its lowlands and foothills.

Mindoro, with an area of about 9826 square kilometers (3794 square
miles) is the seventh largest island of the Philippines. It is roughly triangular
in outline with its greatest length of about 176 kilometers (110 miles) extend-
ing roughly from northwest to southwest, and its greatest breadth of about
89.6 kilometers (56 miles) extending roughly northeast to southwest.

It has only been in recent years that the island has begun attracting set-
tlers in rather large numbers, in spite of its rich plains and valleys. It was
always by-passed by great numbers of settlers from Northern Luzon who pre-
ferred to settle on Mindanao. What few settlers went to Mindoro before
World War II came mostly from near-by islands like Batangas, Lubang,
Semirara and Tablas, mainly because they divided their time every year be-
tween Mindoro and their islands. For many years comparatively little prog-
ress had been made in opening up Mindoro. It was only on the southwestern
side, especially around San José, and in the northeastern side around Cala-
pan, that areas under cultivation have been developed. ‘The main reason for
this hesitancy of settlers to go to Mindoro has been its supposedly unhealthy
climate. No other island in the Philippines has been as notorious as Mindoro
for the incidence of malaria (whose deadly strain was very much exagger-
ated), and schistosomiasis which occurs in restricted areas around Lake Nau-
jan, especially on the marshy western side.

The island is noted for its very heavy rainfall, as various natural history
collectors, like Worcester, Whitehead, Mearns, and Merrill, have attested.
Whitehead, as quoted by Ogilvie-Grant (1896:459-460) describes the Min-
doro rains and leeches very aptly when he writes, “I have . . . seen a good deal

4 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

of the tropics, but I never encountered such deluges, such incessant rain, and
such thousands of leeches.”” And Ogilvie-Grant, based on Whitehead’s field
notes describing the sudden floods as a result of the heavy rains, continues
“_, . the expedition was nearly wrecked, the river coming down in a tre-
mendous flood with very little warning. The camp had been pitched about
20 feet above the river, which at this part was about 200 yards wide, but in
less than twelve hours, fortunately in daylight, the water was running from
two to three feet deep like a mill-race through Mr. Whitehead’s tent. . . .”

The northeast monsoon winds that prevail during January to April
yield abundant moisture on the eastern side of the island. The high central
mountain range effectively blocks this precipitation from falling on the west-
ern side. On the other hand, from June to October, the prevailing southwest
monsoon winds yield a great amount of rainfall on the western half of the
island and the same high central mountain range effectively blocks it from
the eastern side. The northern and southern regions beyond the effective
rain shadow afforded by the high central mountain range have rain prael
cally the whole year round.

The Mount Halcon area where a greater part of the collecting activities
of the 1954 Expedition were carried on is described by Merrill (1907:180)
accurately when he writes, “Its location is perhaps in the most humid part of
the Philippines where the rains continue for nine months in the year, in a
region geographically quite unknown and inhabited by a sparse population
of entirely wild and very timid people, and on an island regarding which
there is a widespread and generally accepted belief as to its unhealthfulness.”

The forested interior of Mindoro is occupied by the Mangyan, a primi-
tive tribe who “are in part, of the short Mongol type with a considerable

Negrito mixture, and in part predominantly Melanesian with some Malay
blend” (Merrill, 1926:32).

GEOLOGY AND PALOGEOGRAPHY

Geologically, Mindoro is considered a part of the Palawan-Cuyo-Mindoro
Group, which also includes the islands of Lubang, Culion, Busuanga and
Balabac. This island group is considered to be a distinct portion of the
Philippines and is thought to be more closely related to Borneo than to the
rest of the Philippines, at least tectonically (Smith, 1924:248-261). It is the
accepted opinion that Mindoro probably was connected with Luzon during
the Pliocene; was separated later on and was linked to Palawan in the Pleisto-
cene (Dickerson, et. al., 1928:286).

Pre-Tertiary and Tertiary rocks have been identified in the coastal areas
of the northern half of Mindoro (1953, A geologic map of the Philippines,
prepared by the Philippine Bureau of Mines and the U. S. Geological Sur-
vey). Its interior remains to this day largely unknown geologically, includ-
ing the Mount Halcon localities, except for Merrill’s (1907:179-203) state
ment about Mount Halcon that “It is a mass of granite, white quartz, schist
and marble.” And he continues that ““Halcon Range is a fold, the main range

DESCRIPTION OF MINDORO 5

running in a generally east and west direction, irregular in profile, but con-
tinuous for a long distance at high altitudes.”

Specimens of rocks that Merrill brought from the summit of Mount Hal-
con, when he ascended the highest peak with Mearns in 1906, were identified
by Smith (1924, loc. cit.) as andesite. Other than these bits of information,
nothing definite is known of the geology of the interior of this island.

FLORISTIC AND FAUNAL RELATIONSHIPS OF MINDORO

Merrill recognizes definitely a Bornean flora which had come through
Palawan to the west side of Mindoro but failed to cross to Luzon. He con-
siders Mindoro as ‘‘a somewhat intermediate region between Palawan on the
one hand and Luzon on the other,” (Dickerson, 1928:286).

Zoologically, based mainly on data from its bird life, Mindoro is consid-
ered as one of the Marginal Districts by Delacour and Mayr (1946:12-13).

VEGETATION TYPES IN THE MOUNT HALCON RANGE

Six original vegetation types may be recognized in the collecting locali-
ties, from the lowlands and foothills up to the summits of the peaks of the
Mount Halcon range.

A. Dipterocarp forest type (sea level—1500 feet altitude)—Typically this
is a three-storied forest with the tallest storey belonging to the Dipterocarpa-
ceae, commonly forming a close canopy. The trees of the first storey average
about 120-150 feet in height. Dipterocarps have long, straight and un-
branched boles for a long distance from the ground.

The ground covering is composed mainly of young trees, rattans and dif-
ferent species of herbaceous spermatophytes. Lianas, consisting mostly of rat-
tan, are abundant. Epiphytes are rather scarce and are usually found only
on the large branches of the trees of the tallest storey, far from the gound. A
few mosses and liverworts begin to appear on some of the tree trunks, in the
upper limits of the Dipterocarp zone of vegetation, which on Mindoro starts
at about 1500 feet altitude.

The localities that were collected in from Camps 1 and 2 included
mainly the Dipterocarp forest type of vegetation and the clearings that were
made in them. This forest covered the level plains and valleys along the
course of the Magasawang-Tubig River and the foothills of the Mount Hal-
con range up to about 1500 feet altitude.

B. Transitional Dipterocarp-Midmountain forest type (1500-2500 feet
altitude).—Some of the trees are as high as those found in the real Diptero-
carp forest type and also belong in the same family, but there is no longer the
distinct three-storied character of the forest. In the upper limits of this zone
the two-storied character of the forest begins to be apparent.

The localities collected in from Camp 3 had this transitional type of for-
est. They included mainly the foothills and lower slopes of the outer peaks
of the Mount Halcon range.

C. Midmountain forest type (2500-4500 feet altitude) —Typically there

6 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

are two distinct stories of trees which average about 60-75 feet for the higher
and 25-40 feet for the lower storey. The higher storey tends to form a closed
canopy but in general is definitely much more open than that formed by
the tallest storey of the Dipterocarp forest type. ‘The undergrowth is much
less dense, but there is more development of ground herbs and ferns. The
epiphytes are definitely more abundant on the trunks and branches and their
abundance increases with elevation.

Localities collected in about Camps 3, 4, and 5 were covered mainly with
this type of vegetation.

D. Climbing Bamboo forest type (4500-6000 feet altitude). —This type of
vegetation is confusing to us. In lower elevations of Philippine mountains
and in the lowlands, bamboo stands, both the light and heavy types, some-
times covering large areas, are definitely a second growth type of vegetation,
replacing original forests after the area has been cut, cleared by cultivation,
and again neglected and allowed to develop second growth.

At about 4000 feet on the slopes leading to Ilong Peak, small clumps of
climbing bamboo occur among what appeared to be untouched Midmoun-
tain forest. At about 4500 feet, especially close to and on the ridges imme-
diately below the summit of Hong Peak, and on the gently rolling areas on
the slopes of neighboring peaks, pure stands of climbing bamboo, Dinochloa
sp., are found. In some cases they cover extensive areas that might be close
to one hundred hectares or even more in extent for each. These patches of
climbing bamboo jungle extend up to about 6000 feet on the slopes of sev-
eral peaks in the immediate vicinity of Ilong.

Whether these climbing bamboo stands are original growth or second
growth we cannot be sure. It i is, however, possible that the Mang gyan in these
localities cleared these slopes a long time ago, perhaps hundreds of years ago,
even up to these elevations, and the climbing bamboos have taken over the
cleared areas after the Mangyan settlers abandoned their clearings to move to
other areas with original forest growth.! After all, there were places in the
northern and northwestern slopes of Mount Halcon that were already cleared
of the original forest growth by the Mangeyan, up to about 5000 feet or even
higher.

If the climbing bamboo growth happens to be original, then it is the first
case where this type of original vegetation occurs on a Philippine mountain,
because none of this type of vegetation has ever been observed on other
Philippine peaks like Mount Malindang and Mount Dabiak, on Mindanao,
Mount Canlaon and Cuernos de Negros, on Negros, and Mount Data on
Luzon.

Typically, the ground underneath is devoid of any growth and can be de-
scribed as clean, except for the rotting leaves and branches. The bamboo
stems and branches form a very dense network, extending from one to three
feet above the ground. Walking inside this jungle is difficult, unless one

1 Dr. C. G. G, J. van Steenis, in litt., 5 March, 1958, agrees with our interpretation of
the Dinochloa thickets occupying the sites of abandoned former clearings.

DESCRIPTION OF MINDORO 7h

crawls under the growth or walks on the network of stems and branches, with
the risk of falling through.

The localities that were collected in from Camp 5 were very rich in this
type of vegetation.

E. Mossy forest type (4500-7500 feet elevation). On the peaks where we
worked, the climbing bamboo areas were followed by typical Mossy type of
forest. In places where there were no climbing bamboo patches, the Mid-
mountain forest merged imperceptibly into the Mossy type at about 4500-
5000 feet altitude.

Typically, the Mossy forest contains only one storey of tree growth, which
averages about 25-40 feet in height, equivalent to the lower storey of the typi-
cal Midmountain forest. As the elevation increases, the trees become shorter
and shorter, and especially on the exposed crestline ridges, there is a definite
stunting accompanied by excessive twisting of the trunks. Mountain yews,
Podocarpus, and oaks, Quercus, are abundant.

The trees are thickly covered with epiphytes that add many inches to the
true diameters of their trunks and branches. On the branches mosses and
liverworts form the main covering of epiphytes and on the trunks extensive
growths of ferns are found. Frequently there is a rather dense ground-cover
of ferns and herbs and in the higher elevations mosses take over, all of them
concealing very effectively the numerous cracks and crevices in the rocks and
hollows among the roots, where the soil layer has been eroded. Progress on
this terrain is slow and often dangerous.

The localities collected in from Camps 4 and 5 included large areas of
this type of vegetation close to the crestline ridges of the Mount Halcon
range.

F. Pine forest type (4500-8000 feet altitude—On the eastern and south-
eastern sides of the Mount Halcon range that we collected in, we did not ob-
serve any Pine forest, although Pinus merkusti is reported to occur on the
western slope of Mount Halcon.

LAKE NAUJAN AND ITs WILDLIFE RESOURCES

Lake Naujan is about 25 feet above sea level. It is a beautiful lake about
14.5 kilometers long (in a north-south orientation) and about 7.5 kilometers
wide (east-west), and in many places is 10 meters and more deep, a few meters
from shore. Its water is normally clear, except during flood time which is
most likely to occur during November and December, when the clayey soil
sediments brought by the streams and creeks that empty into it from all
around make the water yellow. At its northern end, a little to the northwest,
the lake empties into the Butas River, its only outlet, which winds and joins
the Lumangbayan River and empties into the sea at Lumangbayan Barrio,
Naujan at the northeastern coast of Mindoro after about 20 kilometers of a
very tortuous route.

In 1935, when one of us. (Rabor) collected birds in its vicinity, the lake
was still surrounded with large areas of virgin Dipterocarp forest, both on the
hills of its northern and eastern sides and in the lowlands of its southern and

8 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

western sides. The Butas River for about the first 4 kilometers of its winding
course was bordered by virgin Dipterocarp forest in many places and clear-
ings were very few. Extensive areas of tall marsh grass grew along the river
bank. Houses were few.

In 1954 the entire course of the Butas River was already cleared of its
forest and its marsh grass areas. The level land along the river was well culti-
vated and many houses lined the river along its entire course, up to the out-
let of the lake. The hills immediately surrounding the northern and eastern
portions of the lake were already mostly cleared of original forest and were
planted to corn and camote (sweet potato), or were left idle to be covered
with second growth. There were very small remnant patches of Dipterocarp
forest on the steep sides of a few hills. The western and southern portions of
the lake were also cleared of forests and such marshes as could be used. For-
tunately, the lake marshes, which were very extensive on the western and
southern parts of the lake would not allow much use for farming purposes.
These were in some places about one kilometer wide, from the water’s edge
towards the plain in the interior. Where the marshes allowed cultivation,
they were drained and cleared and planted with rice. ‘The mud in the marshes
commonly reached depths of from 3 to 6 feet or even more, with water only
from 2 to 6 inches. Walking or boating in this quagmire was out of the ques-
tion.

Patches of water lotus of varied sizes were abundant all around the lake,
extending from the edge of the water to about 5 to 100 meters into the lake.
These patches provided excellent concealment for the marsh and water
birds that were abundant in Lake Naujan.

These extensive marshes, especially on the western side of the lake, be-
tween the lake outlet into the Butas River, south to Mambog River, were
important breeding grounds of waterfowl.

Lake Naujan, with its immediately surrounding hills and plains, has al-
ways been noted for its rich game resources in terms of fish, crocodiles, birds
and game mammals, especially deer and wild hogs.

The most important commercial fishes include the three migratory
marine species, Mugil dussumiert, Caranx sexfasciatus and Lutianus argentt-
maculatus, and the fresh water species, Ophicephalus striatus. There are also
other minor species of fish. Over-fishing and ruthless exploitation of the fish
resources of the lake even reach the point of non-observance of the closed
seasons for these species by the concessionnaires of the Butas fisheries. By
not opening the strong and massive fish corral constructed across the Butas
River, fishermen thus have completely blocked the exit of these marine spe-
cies in their migration to the sea to breed. Were it not that floods have occa-
sionally helped these migratory fish species by breaking down the fish corral
and thus allowing a large number of breeding fish to escape, the Lake Nau-
jan fisheries for these marine migratory fishes would have been totally de-
pleted a long time ago.

‘The crocodile, Crocodylus mindorensis, of Lake Naujan occurred there
in large numbers prior to 1930. ‘The pressing demand for crocodile leather

DESCRIPTION OF MINDORO 9

in commerce in the early thirties caused the total depletion of this species in
the lake. In 1954 none of the members of the expedition party saw a croco-
dile in the localities collected in around the lake.

Deer, Cervus (Rusa) barandanus, and wild hog, Sus celebensis philippen-
sis, used to be abundant in the forested localities around the lake and the
immediately surrounding localities. ‘The destruction of the original forests
around the lake has almost decimated the deer and wild hog population in
the area.

Lake Naujan has always been known for its great number of wild ducks,
purple gallinules, moorhens, swamphens and many other species of water
and marsh birds. ‘They were breeding in large numbers, especially in the
marshy areas of the western side of the lake, as late as 1941. In 1954, the adja-
cent river was cleared of marshy areas along its entire course. This area was
the breeding place of the purple gallinule. During the entire stay of about 8
days by the collecting party at Lake Naujan, only one purple gallinule was
seen and collected, and yet in the same area in 1940, dozens of them could be
seen perching on the broken and flattened tops of the tufts of tall marsh grass,
calling loudly to one another.

There are still a number of waterfowl, such as Anas luzonica, Dendro-
cygna arcuata, and Gallinula chloropus, that breed in the marshes of the
western part of the lake, but no longer in their former numbers. This num-
ber will probably continue to diminish because of the overhunting, mostly
illegal, that is going on at Lake Naujan.

REMARKS ON THE MINDORO AVIFAUNA

R. C. McGregor’s A Manual of Philippine Birds, published in 1909, re-
corded 193 species of birds from Mindoro Island, representing the combined
results of the various collections which had been made on the island from
about 1887 until 1907. After deducting 7 species for reasons of questionable
identification and synonymy, 186 species are left in the Mindoro avifaunal
list as of 1909. Of this number, 154 were residents and 32 were migrants. Be-
tween that time and the 1954 Expedition, 18 species and subspecies have
been added to the Mindoro avifaunal list, making a total of 204 forms, of
which 161 are residents, 42 are migrants, and | is doubtful as a breeding form
on Mindoro and the other Philippine islands where it has been recorded.

The 1954 Expedition collected a total of 1099 bird specimens, including
122 species and subspecies, of which 104 are resident, 17 are migrants and one
doubtful as to status.

Ten species are recorded herewith for the first time from Mindoro, of
which 9 have been collected in the present field work and one was collected
by Rabor! at Lake Naujan in September, 1939, and was lost during the war.
This record of capture of this species has not previously been reported in
literature.

Five of the present new bird records are migrants:

. Butorides striatus amurensis

. Ixobrychus eurythmus

. Tringa glareola

. Cuculus micropterus micropterus
. Phylloscopus borealis kennicotti

ot # Of ND

Four are residents:

1. Hieraaétus kieneri formosus

2. Cacomantis variolosus sepulcralis
3. Ninox scutulata randi

4. Cisticola juncidis tinnabulans

One is doubtful as to its breeding actually on Mindoro or on Mindanao
where it has been recorded earlier:

1. Zoothera andromedae

[This species occurs also on Java, Sumatra, and Lombok where it has been
proven to be a resident. Whether the Philippine record is that of a migrant
from these southern islands or a resident remains to be proved.]

The 161 resident bird species and subspecies on Mindoro Island form

1 Rabor shot a fully adult male Rufous-bellied Dwarf Eagle, Hieraaétus kieneri formo-
sus, perched on a low branch of a tree at the edge of the lake with a loudly squawking
male hornbill, Penelopides panini mindorensis, clutched securely in its talons.

REMARKS ON THE MINDORO AVIFAUNA ll

about 79 per cent of the total avifaunal list. Thus, approximately four-fifths
of the island’s bird records are resident.

Four species are endemic:

1. Ducula mindorensis
2. Centropus steerei

3. Geokichla cinerea

4. Dicaeum retrocinctum

In addition, 17 subspecies are endemic to the island:

. Gallicolumba luzonica platenae

. Prioniturus discurus mindorensis

. Loriculus philippensis mindorensi
. Surniculus lugubris mindorensis

. Centropus viridis mindorensi

. Otus scops mindorensis

. Ninox philippensis mindorensis

. Ceyx erithacus vargasi

. Penelopides panini mindorensis
10. Dryocopus javensis mindorensis

1]. Lantus validirostris tertius

12. Hypsipetes philippinus mindorensis
13. Turdus poliocephalus mindorensis
14. Megalurus timoriensis mindorensis
15. Muscicapa hyperythra mindorensis
16. Muscicapa rufigastra mindorensis
17. Pachycephala plateni mindorensis

OO oOnrm oP OF DN =

The endemic species and subspecies total 22 forms or 13.6 per cent of the
total number of residents.

Nine subspecies are found on both Luzon and Mindoro and nowhere
else:

. Ducula carola carola

. Coracina morio elusum

. Lalage melanoleuca melanoleuca

. Brachypteryx montana poliogyna

. Phylloscopus trivirgatus benguetensis
. Muscicapa panayensis nigrimentalis

. Parus elegans elegans

. Zosterops nigrorum aureiloris

. Erythrura hyperythra brunneiventris

Oost oP OF DN =

A few other subspecies are found not only on Luzon and Mindoro but
also on the small islands in the immediate vicinity such as Verde, Catand-
uanes, Alabat, Polillo, Lubang, Marinduque and Semirara.

. Phapitreron leucotis leucotis

. Geopelia striata striata

. Streptopelia tranquebarica humilis
. Dendrocopos maculatus validirostris
. Coracina striata mindorensis

. Aethopyga shelleyi flavipectus

. Lonchura punctulata cabanisi

. Dicrurus balicassius balicassius

COnID OP OF DN

Five species and subspecies are common to both Mindoro and the Pala-

12 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

wan Group but have not been found so far on any other island of the Philip-
pine Archipelago.

. Rallina fasciata

Treron curvirostra erimacra
. Pelargopsis capensis gouldi
. Ceyx rufidorsus rufidorsus

. Corvus enca pusillus

oo Go NO

The remaining forms that have been recorded from Mindoro have also
been recorded from other regions of the Philippines and are of more or less
widespread distribution.

A very interesting aspect of the avifauna of Mindoro is the total absence
of certain genera, species and subspecies of birds that are found on nearby
Luzon and other islands.

The following genera are totally absent on Mindoro, but some of them
are widespread on Luzon, or both on Luzon and on some other islands,
especially those of the Eastern Philippines and the Visayan Islands:

1. Bolbopsittacus 9. Pericrocotus
2. Phoenicophaeus 10. Irena

3. Bubo 11. Stachyris

4. Batrachostomus 12. Bradypterus
5. Harpactes 13. Orthotomus
6. Buceros 14. Sitta

7. Chrysocolaptes 15. Rhabdornis
8. Mulleripicus

The following species are found on Luzon and the other islands of the
Philippine group but not on Mindoro:

. Phapitreron amethystina
. Tanygnathus sumatranus
. Collocalia inexpectata

. Halcyon lindsayi

. Ceyx melanurus

. Pycnonotus urostictus

. Copsychus luzoniensis
. Phylloscopus olivaceus
. Rhipidura cyaniceps

. Oriolus isabellae

. Oriolus albiloris

me Oowoeon

mS ot ® OF ND =
—

Based on comparative numbers of bird forms that are common to Min-
doro and Luzon and to the surrounding islands on the one hand, and to
Mindoro and to the Palawan group on the other, it is clear that Mindoro
Island is really a marginal district where the avifauna from the eastern Philip-
pines, central Philippines, and the Palawan Group meet.

One interesting fact is that Mindoro has more elements that are of east-
ern Philippine relationship rather than of the Palawan Group. Another fact
of great interest is that in the case of the highland forms, there is a very close
relationship between birds of the northern Luzon highlands and those of the
Mindoro highlands. While it is true that in some instances speciation has al-
ready proceeded and attained the stage that warrants the taxonomic separa-
tion of the Mindoro form from that of the Northern Luzon highlands, in
other cases the two populations are still so very similar to each other as to be
almost identical. For example, the following species that are found both in
the Northern Luzon highlands and in those of Mindoro have already reached

REMARKS ON THE MINDORO AVIFAUNA 13

that degree of differentiation that warrants the separation of the two popu-
lations into two distinct races or subspecies:

1. Lanius validirostris 4. Muscicapa hyperythra
2. Turdus poliocephalus 5. Pachycephala platent
3. Megalurus timoriensis

On the other hand, the following species, although at present already
showing signs of differentiation in certain characters in the two populations
from the highlands of both islands, have not yet attained such a degree as to

warrant the separation of the two populations into distinct races. This is true
in:

1. Brachypteryx montana 3. Muscicapa panayensis
2. Phylloscopus trivirgatus 4, Parus elegans

ALTITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION OF MINDORO BIRDS

For purposes of studying the altitudinal distribution of the birds of Min-
doro Island, the countryside has been divided roughly into three main
regions:

a. Lowlands and rolling country (sea level—1500 feet altitude).
b. Foothills and moderate mountain elevations (1500-3500 feet alti-
tude).

c. Highlands and mountain tops (3500-6500 feet altitude, and up-
ward).

These altitudinal divisions are at most approximate and based mainly on
the bird forms found in them.

a. Lowlands and rolling country (sea level—-1500 feet altitude).—

Various types of bird habitats are included in this region, chief of which
are the following:

. Sea shores and beaches.

. Mangrove and tidal forests.

. Beach forest.

. Farms, gardens, orchards.

. Coconut groves.

. Dipterocarp forest

. Grasslands

. Marshes and swamps.

. Lake, ponds, and rivers.

10. Secondary forest.

11. New forest clearings.

12. Old, neglected forest clearings.
13. Logged areas, but still covered with forest.

moon our OF Nn

In point of number of bird forms living in the area, this region is the
richest among the three. The following families are well represented:

1. Podicipedidae 7. Megapodiidae
2. Phalacrocoracidae 8. Phasianidae
3. Ardeidae 9. Turnicidae

4. Anatidae 10. Rallidae

5. Accipitridae 11. Jacanidae

6. Falconidae 12. Charadriidae

NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

13. Laridae 28. Hirundinidae
14. Columbidae 29. Laniidae

15. Psittacidae 30. Oriolidae

16. Cuculidae 31. Dicruridae
17. Strigidae 32. Artamidae
18. Caprimulgidae 33. Sturnidae

19. Apodidae 34. Corvidae

20. Alcedinidae 35. Campephagidae
21. Meropidae 36. Pycnonotidae
22. Coraciidae 37. Muscicapidae
23. Bucerotidae 38. Motacillidae
24. Capitonidae 39. Dicaeidae

25. Picidae 40. Nectariniidae
26. Pittidae 41. Ploceidae

27. Alaudidae

b. Foothills and moderate mountain elevations (1500-3500 feet alti-
tude).—This region includes several habitat types of which the most im-
portant are the following:

. Transition Dipterocarp-Midmountain forest
Midmountain forest,

. Cultivated areas.

New forest clearings,

. Old, neglected forest clearings.

. Grasslands,

. Secondary forest.

Some families that are found in the lowlands and rolling country extend
their altitudinal range up to this region. The families and forms that rep-
resent them in this region are mainly the following:

1. Accipitridae—Accipiter virgatus confusus

2. Columbidae—Phapitreron leucotis leucotis

3. Psittacidae—Loriculus philipensis mindorensis

4. Cuculidae—Centropus steerei

5. Caprimulgidae—Eurostopodus macrotis macrotis
6. Bucerotidae—Penelopides panini mindorensis

7. Picidae—Dendrocopos maculatus validirostris

8. Dicruridae—Dicrurus balicassius balicassius

9. Corvidae—Corfus enca pusillus, Corvus macrorhynchus philippinus
10. Campephagidae—Coracina striata mindorensis
11. Muscicapidae—Hypothymis azurea azurea
12. Dicaeidae—Dicaeum trigonostigma xanthopygium
13. Nectariniidae—Aethopyga shelleyi flavipectus

In addition to the above forms that extend their range from the first alti-
tudinal region, there are also several forms that begin their range in this
region and extend upward to the highlands and mountain tops. The most
important of these are the following:

Cacomantis variolosus sepulchralis
Parus elegans elegans

Zosterops nigrorum aureiloris
Erythrura hyperythra brunneiventris

c. Highlands and mountain tops (3000-6500 feet altitude and up-
ward).—The main habitat types found in this region are the following:

1, Midmountain forest.
2. Mossy forest.

REMARKS ON THE MINDORO AVIFAUNA 15

. Climbing bamboo jungles.

. Cultivated areas.

. New forest clearings.

. Old neglected forest clearings.
. Secondary forest

IO Ot 09

The following families and subfamilies are represented by forms that
range in all three regions—from the lowlands up to the highlands:

Accipitridae Spizaetus cirrhatus limnaétus (5000 feet)
Phasianidae Gallus gallus gallus (5000 feet)
Columbidae Ducula poliocephala poliocephala (5000 feet)

Ducula carola carola (6500 feet)

Leucotreron occipitalis occipitalis (4500 feet)
Columba vitiensis griseogularis (5000 feet)
Macropygia phasianella tenuirostris (6000 feet)

Psittacidae Prioniturus discurus mindorensis (4500 feet)
Cuculidae Surniculus lugubris mindorensis (4500 feet)
Caprimulgidae Caprimulgus macrurus manillensis (5000 feet)
Pycnonotidae Hy psipetes philippinus mindorensis (6000 feet)
Sylviinae Megalurus timoriensis mindorensis (6000 feet)
Pachycephalinae Pachycephala plateni mindorensis (5000 feet)
Dicaeidae Dicaeum bicolor inexpectatum (4500 feet)

In addition to the forms that range from the lowlands up to the high-
lands, and those from the foothills and moderate mountain elevations up to
the highlands, there are certain forms that are found only in the highlands
and mountain tops and do not range lower than 3500 feet. They include the
following:

Ducula mindorensis

Collocalia vestita mearnsi
Collocalia esculenta bagobo

Lanius validirostris tertius
Brachypteryx montana poliogyna
Turdus poliocephalus mindorensis
Zoothera andromedae

Phylloscopus trivirgatus benguetensis
Muscicapa hyperythra mindorensis
Muscicapa panayensis nigrimentalis
Parus elegans elegans

Zosterops montana montana

MANGYAN Birp NAMES

The majority of the lowland species have been given either Tagalog, Ilo-
cano, or Visayan vernacular names, depending on the dialect spoken by the
people who have settled in the area. Tagalog settlers from Batangas Province,
Luzon, and Marinduque Island, were the earliest settlers in the coastal areas
and lowlands of that part of Mindoro closest to Mount Halcon. These settle-
ments include Calapan, Naujan, Puerto Galera, San Teodoro and Baco. Con-
sequently, the vernacular names of most bird species in the coastal regions
and the lowlands in these parts of Mindoro are in Tagalog and identical with
the names for the species in Batangas and Marinduque.

The Ilocano settlers from northern Luzon, who came to Mindoro in the
early thirties, settled in the interior, also in parts of the lowlands which the

16 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

Tagalogs could not cultivate. The Iocanos are at present numerous at the
base and in the foothills of the Mount Halcon range. They have also given
Ilocano vernacular names to the bird species that they are familiar with be-
cause they have come in contact with them in northern Luzon.

The Visayan settlers, of whom there are only a few in the Mount Halcon
area, have also given Visayan vernacular names to bird species that they are
familiar with in the Visayan Islands. These local names, be they Tagalog,
Ilocano, or Visayan, are identical with the names of these bird species as they
are known in the home regions.

In the highlands of Mount Halcon where the Tagalogs, Ilocanos, and
Visayans have not yet settled, the Mangyan tribes who have been driven
gradually from their lowland clearings by the coming of these Christian
Filipinos, are at present settled. Being the only people who always come in
contact with the highland bird species of this particular region, they have
given Mangyan vernacular names to some of the species, otherwise little
known or totally unknown to their Christian Filipino brothers. Below is a
list of Mangyan names given to bird species in the Mount Halcon range:

Ba-la-oi’ Columba vitiensis
Tok-wae’ Macropygia phasianella
To-ris’ Prioniturus discurus
Pai-pa-lis’ Collocalia spp.
Ak-se-or’ Brachypteryx montana
Bi-is’ Turdus poliocephalus
An-ra’-bir Phylloscopus trivirgatus
An-sa-sa-yao’ Muscicapa hyperythra
Sa-la-pia’ Muscicapa panayensis
Suk-lat’ Pachycephala plateni
Ka-ri-ring’-ao Parus elegans

The same bird species are known by different Mangyan vernacular
names in other parts of the mountainous interior of Mindoro where other
Mangyan tribes live.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS
FaMILy PODICIPEDIDAE, GREBES
Podiceps ruficollis philippensis (Bonnaterre)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 15¢ ad., 24 sub-ad., 129 ad., 49 sub-ad., two juv., one downy
young; May 21-27.

Wing ¢ (13) 100-110 (av. 105.7), Q (12) 98-110 (av. 102.7); culmen from base ¢ (15) 29-31
(av. 29.6), Q (10) 26-29 (av. 27.2 mm.); weight ¢ (14) 190-250 (av. 222), Q (11) 175-235 (av. 203.6

gr).

In the Mindoro series, both sexes vary extensively in the color of the
upperparts and underparts. The males and females arranged in two separate
series easily fall into three intergrading groups, each based on the intensity
of the dark coloration of their upperparts—from light to medium to very
dark blackish brown or black.

In a typical male specimen of P. r. “cotabato” from Buluan, Cotabato,
Mindanao, the upperparts, when compared to the male series, easily place
this specimen within the normal range of variation for this character, but
definitely in the upper group of the series.

The intensity of the black color on the back of the neck and top of the
head in “cotabato” equals the maximum for this character in the Mindoro
series. A female philippensis from Hagonoy, Bulacan, Luzon, has the black
color of the back of the neck and top of the head equal to that in “cotabato.”

In the Mindoro series the extent of the chestnut on the neck equals that
in “cotabato.”

In the intensity of the dark color of the underparts, “cotabato”’ falls
within the upper group of the Mindoro male series, although not the maxi-
mum, being similar to the ninth up to the eleventh in a series of 15. Four
Mindoro males show darker underparts than the male “cotabato.”

The extent of the black on the chin is a variable character in the
Mindoro series of both sexes, and the restricted condition of the black on
the chin of “cotabato” is found in four males and two females of the Min-
doro series. A female specimen of philippensis from Negros shows this re-
stricted condition of the black on the chin, as in “cotabato.” It appears that
the black on the chin becomes more restricted in older specimens.

The amount of white on the secondaries is another very variable char-
acter in the Mindoro series in both sexes. The same amount of white in the
secondaries of birds from Mindanao is shown in several specimens of both
sexes in the Mindoro series.

Based on the variability of the various characters on which “cotabato”
has been described, we are inclined to consider this named form a synonym
of philippensis.

The present series from Mindoro includes birds of various ages, show-
ing the gradual changes in plumage, from the downy young to the full adult.

Downy young.—Upperparts brown with four longitudinal reddish buff

18 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

stripes running the whole length of the back; forehead intense black be-
coming duller black on crown and nape; middle of crown mottled with
chestnut; a white line over eye and another white line on back of head from
middle of occiput, running diagonally downward to nape; chin, throat, and
face with alternate black and white stripes extending down to forebreast;
forebreast, sides, and thighs gray brown; mid-breast and belly white.

Juvenal plumage—Upperparts brown becoming blackish brown on
head and nape, mottled with chestnut on occiput; three parallel white
stripes on sides of head and of neck; chin and throat white; forebreast, sides,
thighs and lower belly gray-brown; mid-breast and belly white.

Early sub-adult plumage.—Upperparts and top of head and nape brown;
sides of head and neck dull chestnut; chin and upper throat white; a wide
dull brown band around neck and forebreast; sides, thighs and lower
belly brown; middle of breast and belly white.

Later sub-adult plumage.—Upperparts and top of head and nape brown;
sides of head and neck chestnut; chin and throat white; a wide dull brown
band around neck and forebreast; sides and thighs gray-brown; middle of
breast and belly white.

The white underparts gradually become mixed with blackish brown in
the adult; the white of chin and fore-throat becomes replaced with blackish
brown; and in the full adult individual, the chin, fore-throat and cheeks
become pronouncedly blackish; the black area on chin and fore-throat be-
comes more restricted the older the individual becomes.

These little grebes were very common in the lake.

Eight of 12 adult females showed enlarged ovaries in May.

Local name: siliasir or siliasid.

Famity PHALACROCORACIDAE, CorMorAntTs, DARTERS
Anhinga rufa melanogaster Pennant

Lake Naujan, 25 feet, 5 ¢,59; May 21-27.

Wing @ (5) 320-358 (av. 337.4), Q (5) 320-335 (av. 328.9); exposed culmen $ (4) 80-85.5 (av.
82.2), Q (5) 72.5-77.5 (av. 74 mm.); weight ¢ (5 1100-1275 (av. 1190), Q (4) 1125-1350 (av. 1193.7
gr.).

Fairly abundant in Lake Naujan and we also saw as many as one dozen
birds in the Lumangbayan-Butas River as we came up by launch to the lake.
In the lake darters were often observed in the water with only the head and
neck exposed and only for a short time, between dives. Several trees at
certain places close to the lake edge were their favorite roosting places at
night. Certain trees with leafless branches that overhung the lake and sev-
eral half submerged logs served as favorite drying places of these birds
during the day. Here several birds were frequently observed with partially
opened or spread wings. The birds did not go out far into the open area of
the lake, but preferred to fish in the coves often close to the patches of water
lotus.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 19

Three species of fish served as the bulk of their diet here: Ophicephalus
striatus, Mugil dussumieri, and Ophiocara aporos.

A very dense clump of Ficus which grew close to the water’s edge near
our camp had served as a nesting site for many years. Several old nests of
sticks were still found at the time we were there.

Four birds of both sexes showed enlarged gonads in May.

Local name: kasilz.

Famity ARDEIDAE, HERONS
Ardea purpurea manilensis Meyen

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 2¢ ad., 29 ad., 29 yg. ad.; May 21-24.

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 1 ¢; March 28.

Wing ¢ (3) 368-380 (av. 376), Q (4) 362-379 (av. 368.7); exposed culmen, $ (3) 130-139 (av.
135), Q (4) 123-132.5 (av. 127.3 mm.); weight $ (2) 1100, 1125, Q (4) 925-1150 (av. 1018.7 gr.).

Frequently encountered in Lake Naujan, either standing motionless and
erect with neck outstretched among the tall marsh grass at the edges of the
lake and in the extensive marshy areas on the western part, or in full flight,
with its characteristic slow and leisurely flapping of the wings, its head
tucked into its shoulders and the legs projecting straight behind.

In the lowlands of Mindoro, wherever there were marshy areas grown
with tall grass, adjacent to rice fields, this heron was most likely to be met
with.

The present series includes two young adult females that show the char-
acteristic immature plumage.

Young adult plumage.—Forehead and crown black with obscure edgings
of pale rufous to the feathers, changing to uniform darker rufous on the
nape; chin and throat white; sides of head and entire neck dull rufous;
upperparts dull brownish gray; wing coverts and scapulars dull brownish
gray with broad rufous edges on each feather; rectrices dark brownish gray;
primaries blackish gray; flanks and axillaries gray; thighs pale rufous; under-
parts buff washed with rufous on the forebreast becoming definitely pale
rufous; the feathers at the sides with pronounced dark brown streaks.

One male had enlarged testes and one young adult female had enlarged
ovaries in May.

Local name: kandanga-ok.

Butorides striatus carcinophilus Oberholser

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 24,49; May 21-27.
Wing ¢ (2) 172, 188; 9 (4) 163-176 (av. 168.5); exposed culmen ¢ (2) 60, 64.5, Q (3) 59-63
(av. 61.3 mm.); weight ¢ (2) 160, 190, 9 (4) 180-220 (av. 203.7 gr.).
Mindoro specimens do not differ from Luzon, Mindanao, and Negros
birds.
Fairly common around the lake and along the river that connected with
the lake. At the river opening into the sea at Barrio Lumangbayan, several
birds of this species were always observed feeding at the water’s edge. When

20 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

disturbed in its feeding activities, a bird would fly, simultaneously crying
‘“Keoo” in a loud, piercing note, almost always accompanied by white ex-
creta being voided as the bird became air-borne.

One of 2 males and all four females had enlarged gonads in May.

Butorides striatus amurensis Schrenck

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; March 29.
Wing 9 209; exposed culmen 9 68 mm.

The Mindoro bird does not differ from a Negros Island specimen.

This winter migrant was taken in a small creek which was heavily cov-
ered with tall trees along its sides. No other bird of this subspecies was seen
elsewhere on Mindoro. As on other islands, where it had been taken, this
winter migrant was rare.

This subspecies is recorded for the first time on Mindoro. It has been
taken so far on Calayan, Cebu, Negros and Samar. Hachisuka (1932:361)
upon checking on the specimens supposedly of this subspecies which were
taken by Everett on Palawan and by Whitehead on Luzon found them to
be B. s. javanicus (= B. s. carcinophilus).

Nycticorax caledonicus manillensis Vigors

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19 sub. ad.; April 3.
Wing sub. ad. 9 292; exposed culmen sub-ad. 9 66.5 mm.; weight sub-ad. 9 750 gr.

The single specimen collected is immature and shows the typically
streaked plumage of the young of this species.

Seven birds, both adult and immature, were disturbed on their roosting
tree, a tall Nauclea orientalis with dense foliage, growing in a cleared
marshy area close to the outlet of the lake where it opened into the river
that drained it to the sea. The birds flew in all directions. The next day
about five birds were flushed from this same roosting tree.

Local name: bakau.

Ixobrychus sinensis astrologus Wetmore

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 14,19; May 22-23.
Wing ¢ 131, 9 129; exposed culmen ¢ 54, 9 54 mm.; weight ¢ 102, 9 90 gr.

Not really rare both around the lake area, and in the marshy areas in
the lowlands. Several birds were often flushed one after the other, from the
tall grass that grew in patches in the marshy areas at the edges of the lake.

The bird often flushed only after it was approached very closely but un-
knowingly. It flushed awkwardly, with its long legs dangling as it started
on its almost vertical flight from among the tall grass for the first few feet,
before leveling off for the flight. This little bittern always appeared to have
a difficult time leaving the ground. However, once clear of the tall grass, it
flew gracefully enough in level flight.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS Z|

Ixobrychus eurythmus (Swinhoe)

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 29 April 3-6.
Wing Q (1) 151; exposed culmen 9 (1) 50 mm.; weight 9 (2) 120, 120 gr.

This rare winter visitant is recorded for the first time from Mindoro.
Previously the species has been recorded only from Mindanao and Negros.

One bird was taken very early in the morning beside a large hole left
on the ground by an uprooted tall dipterocarp tree, in a newly cleared area,
close to a creek. The bird was feeding in mud immediately under the over-
hanging roots of the uprooted tree.

The other bird was taken in a small, deeply shaded creek which was well
overgrown with tall trees; it was feeding along the edge of the water.

Ixobrychus cinnamomeus (Gmelin)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1 ¢; May 24.
Wing ¢ 148; exposed culmen ¢ 51 mm.; weight ¢ 140 gr.

Does not differ appreciably from birds from Mindanao and Luzon.

Not really rare around the lake and along the river that connected the
lake to the sea, it was also flushed several times, in small creeks as it flew
out of original Dipterocarp forest into marshy areas.

FamiILy ANA TIDAE, Ducks

Dendrocygna arcuata arcuata (Horsfield)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 5 ¢; May 24-27.
Wing ¢ (5) 185-204 (av. 196.4); exposed culmen ¢ (5) 42-45 (av. 43 mm.); weight ¢ (5) 450-
550 (av. 530 gr.).

Mindoro birds do not show significant differences in both plumage
coloration and body measurements when compared with Luzon and Mind-
oro specimens.

Whistling ducks were abundant and flew about the lake in several large
flocks of from a dozen to fifty members, frequently in those regions of the
lake adjacent to the extensive marshes. These marshy areas were covered
with grass about one foot high, growing in patches, and in between these
patches was water about three to six inches deep. The bottom in these
marshy areas was soft mud impossible to walk on. The ordinary boat could
not go far into the marshland because the water was very shallow in many
places. In such inaccessible places these ducks congregated to feed in large
ageregations. I estimated more than 300 in one such group. In these marshy
feeding places they were safe from human as well as from other animal inter-
ference. Frequently they were too far away for effective shooting from a boat.

The ducks were breeding among the tall grass patches in these marshes.

Local name: pato del monte.

De NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

Anas luzonica Frazer

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 24,19; March 27.
Wing ¢ (2) 247, 254, 9 235; exposed culmen ¢ (2) 49, 50 mm.

The Mindoro birds show no difference from specimens from Negros and
Samar.

A flock of about four dozen birds was surprised in a small pond in an
extensive marsh area in Makatok, close to rice fields. After the first shot the
birds took off and separated into groups of 5 to 7 members each. Apparently
the birds were merely temporarily congregated in the pond at that time.

Small groups of three to five were frequently seen in flight on Lake
Naujan, but the birds always alighted in the inaccessible marshy areas.
Rarely, groups of about four to seven were seen to alight in the lake itself,
near the patches of water lotus, but they never allowed approach to within
effective shooting range. The species was quite wary in Lake Naujan be-
cause of overhunting.

One male had enlarged gonads in the latter part of March. For com-
parative dates, two males from Lake Balanan, Siaton, Negros Oriental, had
enlarged testes in the latter part of February.

One female bird, taken in Samar Island on 29th April, had all the pri-
maries moulted and was flightless.

Famity ACCIPIT RIDAE, Hawks

Pernis celebensis steerei Sclater

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 19; May 18.
Wing ¢ 373; culmen from base 9 39.5 mm.; weight Q 729 gr.

The Mindoro bird resembles very closely two male specimens from
Mindanao and Negros but differs in various aspects. The head in the Min-
doro specimen is whitish, the individual feathers with narrow blackish shaft-
streaks. The scale-like feathers on the lores and around the eye are not clear
gray, but dull brown with only faint indications of gray, especially on the
lores. The abdomen, thighs, crissum and under-tail coverts show distinct
white and brown bars, which are absent in the Negros specimen and only
faintly indicated on the thigh, crissum and under-tail coverts of the Min-
danao bird.

Rare and difficult to find in the forest and clearings nearby. It was pure
accident that this bird was seen perching in a second-storey tree of a three
storied Dipterocarp forest at the edge of a new clearing that was made in
otherwise virgin area.

Halvastur indus intermedius Blyth

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1 6; May 24.
Wing ¢ 389; culmen from base 36 mm.

The Mindoro specimen is younger than comparative material from
Luzon and Mindanao, as shown by its plumage which has still retained

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 23

remnants of the juvenal feathers, especially on the chest and abdomen, and
on the upper back. Some of the primaries and most of the wing coverts are
worn juvenal feathers.

Rather common, especially in the lake area; several birds were frequently
observed soaring low over the lake water and from time to time plunging
down on the numerous dead gobies, Ophiocara aporos, (used as bait for
murrel fishing) which were floating, whitish belly up. The birds often
perched on the branches of trees close to the lake edge, to eat their dead fish.

As we came up the river to the lake, we observed several birds perching
singly on tall trees on the river bank.

Local name: lauin.

Accipiter soloénsis (Horsfield)

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; April 6.
Wing @ 204; culmen from base 9 23.5 mm.; weight 9 140 gr.

This winter migrant was rare. It was taken in a patch of virgin Diptero-

carp forest which was adjacent to a newly cleared area, perched on a low
tree of the lowest storey.

Accipiter virgatus confusus Hartert

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 19; May 16.
Ilong Peak, Mt. Halcon, 2000 feet; 19; May 13.

One of two specimens is a full grown female, but still in immature
plumage, and with the adult plumage beginning to develop on the sides.
The other bird is in young adult plumage with the characteristic distinct
cross bars of reddish brown and white on the middle of the breast.

The species was rare. Both birds were taken in original Dipterocarp
forest on low trees of the third storey. Each bird was difficult to find among
the branches and foliage of the tree where it perched, because it stayed
motionless until it flew to a nearby tree.

Spizaétus (cirrhatus) limneetus (Horsfield)
Kabilang-Ilong, Mount Halcon, 4000 feet; 19; May 13.

The Mindoro bird is in the chocolate brown phase.

Rare and it was purely accidental that this bird was taken in a bird
trap, that was especially made for it and baited with a half-grown chicken.
The Mangyan who caught it related that this eagle was seen several times
inside the forests close to his clearing and often perched on a particular
branch of a particular tree. He set a trap for it on this perching branch and
after two days he got the bird.

Halieetus leucogaster (Gmelin)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 19 ad., 19 sub-ad.; May 21-24.
Wing 9 (2) 533, 570; culmen from base 9 (2) 56, 63 mm.; weight Q (2) 2475, 2500 gr.

Not uncommon in the lake area. There were three tall trees that grew

24 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

close to the edge of the lake which were regular perches of these birds.
Frequently, one or two birds were seen soaring high over the lake.

The adult female was first observed as it plunged into the lake from its
soaring flight and rose with a large water snake wriggling actively in its
talons. It proceeded to one of the regular tall tree perches, where it was
secured.

The sub-adult female was feeding on a large dead murrel while perched
on a low branch of a low tree growing close to the lake edge. After the bird
was secured, the murrel was examined and found to be already foul smelling
and in the early stages of decay.

There were about six birds of this species which were frequently seen
soaring over the lake. The same birds also fished in the seas off the nearby
coast of Naujan, about four air kilometers from the lake. A tall dead tree
on top of a steep cliff that bordered the coast was a favorite perch of these
birds.

We passed a fully adult bird perched on a branch of a tall tree that grew
on the river bank, on our way upriver to the lake.

Icthyophaga ichthyaetus ichthyaetus (Horsfield)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 19; May 21.
Wing 9 420; culmen from base 9 60 mm.; weight 9 2700 gr.

The gray-headed fishing eagle was not uncommon in the Lake Naujan
area. Several birds were often observed to pounce together on dead murrels
that were floating in the lake. After getting the fish, a bird would proceed
to perch on one of the trees that were growing close to the lake edge. The
bird was not one for soaring flight, unlike the White-breasted sea eagle. It
was more often observed on the perch than in the air in flight. After leaving
a tree, it would usually proceed to another tree not so far away, and perch
on it, often selecting a branch that was well covered by foliage. It would
stay here for long periods until disturbed.

Fami_ty FALCONIDAE, FALCONS
Microhterax erythrogenys (Vigors)

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢; April 6.
Wing ¢ 107; culmen from base ¢ 16 mm.; weight, 40 gr.

The single Mindoro male specimen does not differ in plumage from
birds of Luzon and Mindanao. The wing measurement, however, is larger
than that of the Luzon male and equals the smallest wing measurement of
the Mindanao males. It appears as if the Luzon birds are the smallest, fol-
lowed by the Mindoro bird, and then by the Mindanao birds. ‘There seems
to be a gradual increase of wing length from the northern to the southern
islands of the archipelago.

Not common. The single specimen taken was in a clearing, perching on
a medium high tree, close to the edge, and was catching insects on the wing
and returning regularly to its perching tree when first seen.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 25
Famity PHASIANIDAE, PHEASANTS, QUAIL

Gallus gallus gallus (Linnaeus)

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢; April 6.
Wing ¢ 222; bill from nostril ¢ 16.5 mm.; weight, 950 gr.

Fairly common, but was more often heard than seen. The challenging
crows of the roosters were frequently heard answering one another in dif-
ferent parts of the forests, including the clearings that were newly made by
the settlers at the base of the mountain range.

The Christian settlers had their native domestic chickens which were
still very close to the wild stock. The native Mangyans also had their do-
mestic fowls that frequently were of native breed. The domestic fowl had
ali the chances to interbreed with the wild jungle fowl in these places. In
fact, it was not rare for the wild rooster to mate with native domestic hens
in settlements where the clearings were immediately adjacent to the forests.
However, it was a very rare case for the domestic rooster to breed with the
wild hen, perhaps because the wild hen most often stayed in the forests away
from the clearings. The remarkable thing about this interbreeding between
the domestic chicken and the wild jungle fowl was that there was no inter-
mediate wild-domestic population of fowls found in the foothills and forests.

Several times we met Mangyans in the mountain trails holding in their
arms wild roosters that were securely tied. They used these fowls as lure in
their snares that they set especially for red jungle fowls. It was strange that
we never saw tamed wild roosters allowed to run loose around the houses
and the clearings immediately around. It appeared that the tendency of
wild roosters already tamed was still to revert to the wild state and to go
back to the forest with the first opportunity to do so.

Famity TURNICIDAE, BusTarp QUAIL

Turnix suscitator fasciata (Temminck)

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢; April 4.
Wing ¢ 81; culmen from base ¢ 17.5 mm.

Several Bustard Quail of this species were frequently flushed from the
erass and weeds at the sides of the idle rice fields in the plains of Makatok,
Victoria, but no specimens were collected.

The species was occasionally flushed in the clearings at Alcate, Victoria,
that were at that time left fallow and were beginning to be covered with
erass and weeds. The birds unfailingly flew toward the patches of dense
second growth that surrounded the clearings.

FaMILy RALLIDAE, RAILs

Rallus torquatus torquatus Linnaeus

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1¢,19; May 22-26.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 9; March 29.

26 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

Wing ¢ 140, 9 (2) 146, 165; culmen from base @ (2) 39, 47 mm.; weight ¢ 290, Q (2) 290,
300 gr.

Compared with Luzon birds, the Mindoro specimens do not differ ap-
preciably in plumage and measurements.

The species was commonly seen along the edges of the rivers and lake
shores, close to the water’s edge. On the banks of the Magasawang-Tubig
River, many birds were seen as they followed the water’s edge, but char-
acteristically they would run back very fast to the tall grass that grew in
dense patches along the banks.

There were ponds of varying sizes in an extensive tall grass area along
the Baco River for a great part of its length. The present species was one of
the commonest rails that lived in large numbers in this grass tract. Early
in the morning and late in the afternoon the birds were often seen feeding
on the edges of the ponds and sometimes swimming in them.

Porzana fusca fusca (Linnaeus)

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 19; April 9.
Wing © 95; culmen from base 9 20 mm.

Compared with a female from Fort William McKinley, Rizal Province,
Luzon Island, the Mindoro female specimen appears to have slightly richer
and darker colors on both the upperparts and underparts. However, the Fort
McKinley specimen is in worn plumage and there has also been slight fading
of the color due to the age of the skin. The Mindoro specimen possesses on
the average, larger white spots on the under tail-coverts.

Rare, as on the few other islands where it has been recorded. The single
Mindoro bird was taken in an abandoned rice field covered with weeds,
adjacent to a large patch of tall marsh grass. The bird, however, was notably
on drier ground which was also covered with tall grass.

Poliolimnas cinereus ocularis (Sharpe)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 34,29; May 24-27.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; April 8.

Wing ¢ (3) 97-101 (av. 99.3), 9 (3) 91-97 (av. 93.3 mm.); culmen from base ¢ (3) 28.5-30 (av.
29.1), 2 (8) 26-27 (av. 26.3 mm.); weight g (2) 60, 70, @ (1) 60 gr.

Birds from Mindoro do not show significant difference when compared
with specimens from Luzon, Mindanao, and Negros. One Mindoro male
possesses dull black loral patches similar to those found in a male from
Negros.

Very common along the edges of the lake and rivers, especially where
there was abundance of tall grass where they could hide when disturbed.
They were easily the most common bird species in the marshy and swampy

areas, including nipa and mangrove swamps, along the coast and at river
mouths.

Amaurornis phoenicurus javanica (Horsfield)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 29; May 24-27.
San Luis, 100 feet; 1 ¢; May 20.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 27

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢; April 7.
Wing ¢ (2) 146, 153, Q (2) 144, 151; culmen from base ¢ (2) 34.5, 37, Q (2) 34.5, 37 mm.;
weight (2) 183, 190, @ (2) 190, 190 gr.

Mindoro birds do not differ from Mindanao specimens.

Fairly common along the edges of the rivers, ponds, and around Lake
Naujan in areas of tall grass. At dusk and twilight, several pairs could be
seen walking along the water’s edge of river, pond or lake, all the while
jerking the tail up and down, and from side to side.

It has a very loud and characteristic call which sounds like “kor-wak-wak,
kor-wak-wak,” etc., repeated several times and frequently heard at dusk or
twilight.

Gallicrex cinerea (Gmelin)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1¢,19; May 24-27.
Wing 4 230, 9 198; bill from posterior part of shield ¢ 65, Q 40 mm.; weight $ 300, 9
300 gr.

Compared with specimens from the Asian mainland in the Yale Peabody
Museum, the Mindoro specimens do not differ significantly. The male has
the underparts beginning to change into the breeding plumage which is
typically slaty black or gray-black. The upperparts are still that of the typi-
cal non-breeding plumage of dark brown, the feathers edged with buff.

So far the plumage sequence and changes of this species have not been
followed in detail in the Philippines. Whether the breeding male ever com-
pletely changes its brown and buff non-breeding plumage to one of black
and slaty black throughout as is typical of the male bird in continental Asia
is not yet clear.

The species was fairly common in Lake Naujan, especially in the coves
where there were patches of tall grass growing in the lowlands adjacent to
the lake edge.

Collecting them was difficult because they easily found concealment in
the tall grass. The species was not only seen in tall grass associated with
marshes, but also in drier situations.

The birds were often seen late in the afternoon and very early in the
morning, each perched on a tuft of tall grass, broken down near the ends to
form a rough platform to support its weight. At that time its loud, booming
call, ““Toob-toob,” etc. repeated from time to time could sometimes be heard.

Gallinula chloropus indica Blyth

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 5 ¢ $,59 9; May 22-27.

Wing ¢ (5) 166-179 (av. 170), 9 (5) 155-174 (av. 164.8); bill from posterior portion of shield
8 (5) 36-46.5 (av. 42.7), Q (5) 35-42 (av. 36.4 mm.); weight 4 (5) 289-390 (av. $20.8), Q (5) 220-
325 (av. 257 gr.).

The Mindoro birds cannot be separated from specimens of G. c. indica
in the Peabody Museum (7 ¢, 29, 2 sex?) from Indochina, Japan, and
Okinawa, both in plumage and measurements. The black, scapulars, and
wing coverts are clearly olive brown, similar to the condition in indica.

Peters (1939:80) identified his specimens from Lake Naujan (2 6, 1¢)

28 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

that were collected on March 7, 1937, as indica and commented that some
individuals of this form from eastern Asia might winter in the Philippines.
One of us (Rabor) has had the opportunity of observing these birds con-
tinuously on Lake Naujan for about three years and has always noted the
species to be common on the lake the whole year round and breeding there.
Peters (loc. cit.) advanced tentative conclusions that “. . . the resident birds
of Mindoro and Mindanao should be called G. ch. orientalis Horsfield, while
breeding birds from Luzon may be called G. ch. lozanoi Lletget. We cannot
help feeling that adequate series would show the resident bird of the entire
Philippine Archipelago to be inseparable from orventalis.”

Peabody Museum has five specimens (2 ¢, 39) from Mindanao, one
male of which has the plumage of typical orientalis with the characteristic
olive brown more or less restricted to the back and the scapulars, the wing
coverts being slaty like the rest of the plumage. The remaining four birds
have slaty plumage on the back and scapulars with the least olive brown
wash or none at all. They average smaller in measurements, especially the
wing, compared to Mindoro birds. A single female specimen from near
Manila, Luzon, that is in worn plumage, has the characteristic olive brown
on the back, scapulars, and wing coverts, typical of indica or very close to it,
but has smaller measurements closer to the Mindanao birds in this respect.

The identity of the Philippine form of Gallinula remains a problem re-
quiring good series from the different islands to be studied and compared.

Based on observations on the birds of Lake Naujan, we are of the opinion
that the moorhens of the lake are breeding birds and are indica or a form
very close to it. Pending a more detailed study on the different populations
of Gallinula chloropus in the various islands of the Philippines, we tenta-
tively recognize the following breeding forms as occurring in the Philip-
pines:

G. c. lozanoi Lletget, Luzon
G. c. orientalis Horsfield, Mindanao (intervening islands?)
G. c. indica Blyth, Mindoro (intervening islands?)

Very common in the lake, where groups of one dozen or more were fre-
quently seen feeding in the open water close to the numerous patches of
water lotus. When any group was approached, the birds either swam toward
the marshes and into the tall grass growing there, or entered the nearest
patch of water lotus.

Porphyrio pulverulentus ‘Temminck

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 19; May 24.
Wing @ 240; bill from posterior margin of shield 9 71 mm.; weight 9 700 gr.

The Mindoro female specimen does not differ from a Luzon female
bird.

In 1938-40 this species was found in large numbers in the tall grass that
grew along the Butas River, at least in the first kilometer of its extent from
the lake, and in the extensive marshy areas around the lake, among the tall
marsh grass. In 1954, the river was well cleared of the tall grass that grew

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 29

along its course, and the wide areas of tall marsh grass on both sides of the
lake outlet were likewise gone, having been cut and the area planted to
rice. In 1954, only one bird was actually seen on its platform on top of the
broken tops of the tall marsh grass. A few others were heard in the inacces-
sible marshes on the western side of the lake.

A reason for the great decline of the purple gallinules in the lake area
was overhunting. During October, November, and December each year, the
strong rains raise the level of the lake water to above the top of the tall marsh
grass. This leaves the purple gallinules and many other marsh birds with
no place for concealment, except the trees on the hillsides of the northern
and eastern sides of the lake, which by this time would be reached by the
lake water. At such times, hunters used to hunt down the purple gallinules
in large numbers.

Unless conservation regulations are faithfully observed, the species may
disappear completely from Lake Naujan.

Local name: bot-ot.

FamILy JACANIDAE, Jacanas

Hydrophastanus chirurgus (Scopoli)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 44,49; May 22-25.
Wing ¢ (4) 200-205 (av. 202.2), Q (4) 229-240 (av. 234.5); culmen from base ¢ (4) 29.5-33 (av.
31.7), 9 (8) $4-37.5 (av. 35.8 mm.); weight g (4) 120-140 (av. 130), @ (3) 190-200 (av. 196.6 gr.) .

Mindoro specimens do not differ in plumage color and pattern from
Mindanao birds. However, the Mindoro birds average slightly larger, espe-
cially in length of wing and tarsus.

The female in this species is definitely larger than the male as shown
by the larger measurements of the wing, bill, and tarsus.

Fairly common in Lake Naujan and was frequently observed going about
in several small groups of five to a dozen members each. They have the habit
of alighting on the floating leaves of the water lotus and walking from leaf
to leaf without seeming to sink the leaves a bit.

Their loud and very characteristic call sounded like ‘““Kawo,” repeated
once in a while when flying.

FamMiLy CHARADRIIDAE, PLoveErRs
SUBFAMILY Scolopacinae, SANDPIPERS, SNIPE

Tringa glareola Linnaeus

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 1 ¢, 19; April 10.
Wing ¢ 122, 9 128; culmen from base ¢ 33, 9 37.5 mm.; weight ¢ 80, 9 60 gr.

Quite a number of winter migrant shore birds were seen in the mud
flats adjacent to the marshy areas that were being prepared for rice planting.
This species was fairly common.

First record of this migrant for Mindoro.

30 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

Actitis hypoleucos (Linnaeus)

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 1 4; April 10.
Wing ¢ 108; culmen from base ¢ 29mm.; weight ¢ 40 gr.

One of the commonest winter migrant shore birds encountered in the
different localities that the collecting party worked in. Wherever there was
a river, creek, lake, pond or some marshy areas, or a bit of sandy or muddy
shore, this species was certain to be encountered, usually singly.

Famity COLUMBIDAE, PicrEons, DOVES

Phapitreron leucotis leucotis (Temminck)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1 ¢ 29; May 24-25.
San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 34,39; 1 young; May 14-20.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 15 6,59; March 27-April 17.
Wing g (19) 132-141 (av. 135.7), Q (10) 130-135 (av. 133.2); culmen from base ¢ (19) 19-22
(av. 19.8), 9 (10) 18-20 (av. 19 mm.); weight ¢ (14) 100-140 (av. 124), @ (5) 120-132 (av. 123.4 gr.).
Common. Encountered in virgin forest in the lowlands and up to about
2500 feet up the mountainsides. Also found in second growth and even in
well cultivated areas, in the patches of trees found between cultivated fields.
Its call was often heard coming from several directions in any particular
forest area.
It was easily attracted by imitating its call and leaving sufficiently long
intervals of silence for the bird to attempt to locate the source of the call.
Young.—Upper parts brown with rufous edges to the feathers of scapu-
lars and back; underparts rufous, the individual feathers with gray basal
half and rufous terminal half; primaries and secondaries brown with rufe-
scent outer margins; wing coverts brown with rufous edges.

Leucotreron occtpitalis occipitalis (Gray)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢, 19; April 17-May 18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢ ; April 8.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500-3500 feet; 19; April 26.

Wing @ (2) 158, 164, 9 (2) 156, 157; culmen from base ¢ (2) 23.5, 24, 9 (2) 22, 24.5 mm.;
weight ¢ 250, 9 240 gr.

Mindoro birds do not differ appreciably in plumage colors from Negros,
Samar, and Mindanao specimens, but average slightly larger than the Min-
danao population.

Hachisuka (1932:185) commenting on L. 0. incognitus (Tweeddale) from
Mindanao, writes “The present race is closely related to the typical race,
which can be distinguished by its having a smaller amount of gray on head.”
Our series of specimens in the Peabody Museum from Mindoro, Negros,
Samar, and Mindanao does not bear out this “smaller amount of gray on
head” in the Mindanao birds. Our series, however, shows that the birds
from Mindanao average slightly more yellow on the chin and throat and
possess slightly shorter wings than those from Mindoro, Negros, and Samar
(see Ripley and Rabor, 1956: 289).

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 31

Not really rare, but difficult to find among the dense foliage of the trees
where it might have called from. More often heard than seen.
One female had enlarged gonads in May.

Leucotreron leclancheri leclancheri (Bonaparte)

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢; April 7.
Wing ¢ 155; culmen from base ¢ 24 mm.; weight ¢ 200 gr.

The single Mindoro specimen does not differ significantly from Min-
danao and Luzon birds. The black on the chin of the single Mindanao bird
in our series, a male, seems slightly duller than that of the Mindoro bird.

Rare and with unobtrusive habits this species is difficult to observe.

Ducula aenea aenea (Linnaeus)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 3,19; April 14.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢,29; April 4-8.
Wing ¢ (4) 234-249 (av. 243.5), 9 (3) 233-249 (av. 239.3); culmen from base ¢ (4) 32.5-34 (av.
33.3), 9 (8) 32-82.5 (av. 32.1 mm.); weight ¢ (3) 500-575 (av. 525), 2 (3) 520-535 (av. 526.6 gr.).
The Mindoro birds are similar to specimens from Mindanao and Negros.
Fairly common in the forested lowlands. During early morning and late
afternoon, large flocks habitually fed on tall fruiting Ficus trees that were
growing at the edge of a clearing close to the camp site in San Luis, Naujan.
During the hotter parts of the day, the birds were encountered singly or in
pairs inside the forest nearby, oftentimes roosting in the trees of the lower
stories of typical three-storied Dipterocarp forest. A bird would not even
flush except when necessarily disturbed, so that it was not easy to see amidst
the foliage and branches.

Ducula poliocephala poliocephala (Gray)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 4,19; May 14-15.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 16,19; April 7.

Wing. 4) (2) 22452355 9 (2) 220, 224; culmen from) base (6 (2), 33, 36; 9 (2), 33, 34 mm-;
weight ¢ (1) 590, 9 (1) 490 gr.

The Mindoro specimens do not differ from birds of Luzon, Negros and
Mindanao.

Not common. Occasionally one or a pair of birds were observed feeding
on a tall fruiting tree beside a logging road that was being constructed into
the interior of the lowland forests at the base of the outer foothills of Mount
Halcon. However, the loud booming sounds, characteristic of the species,
were sometimes heard from a patch of virgin Dipterocarp forest at the foot
of a nearby mountain peak.

On the way to Ilong Peak, the species was seen feeding on several very tall
fruiting trees. The species was heard calling at about 3000 feet up Barawanan
Peak and long Peak.

[The interesting Mindoro endemic D. mindorensis was never collected
although seen and heard several times on the ridges of Barawanan Peak at
about 4800 feet, perched on low trees with deep precipices on both sides. The

32 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

call of this species, consisting of loud booming notes, was unlike the notes of
any other Ducula in the Philippines. |

Ducula carola carola (Bonaparte)

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000-5500 feet; 24,29; May 6-14.
Wing ¢ (2) 208, 212, 9 (2) 211, 216; culmen from base ¢ (2) 26.5, 27, 9 (2) 27.5, 28.5 mm.;
weight ¢ (1) 320, 9 (1) 290 gr.

Not really rare but in the localities collected in by the expedition party,
the birds were not observed in groups. In May and June, 1938, Rabor col-
lected in Barrio Go-ob in the same vicinity which was still densely forested
at the time. He saw several large groups of this species feeding on the fruiting
trees close to his camp site, at the edge of a new clearing in virgin Diptero-
carp forest. ‘The birds came to the feeding trees early in the morning and late
in the afternoon. The birds were not seen going about during the hotter
parts of the day. However, inside the near-by forest, one or a pair of them
were sometimes flushed from the trees of the second and third stories.

This species has a wide altitudinal range and is met with in the lowlands
at sea level up to about 6500 feet altitude or even higher, in the mountain
forests. Also, on Luzon, this species was observed to migrate daily from the
highlands to lowlands and from one locality to another, depending on the
occurrence of feeding trees.

One male and one female had enlarged gonads in May.

A nest with one broken egg, and the setting female bird were taken at
Ilong Peak at about 5500 feet altitude. The location of the nest was very pe-
culiar because it was inside a small hollow on the side of a high perpendicular
cliff, about 12 feet from the base. Extending toward the hollow and coming
very close to it was a branch of a mountain yew, Podocarpus, that grew at the
base of the cliff. The nest was a typical pigeon nest of a loose pile of sticks and
twigs on top of which was the single egg.

Columbia vitiensts griseogularis (Walden and Layard)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 19; April 20.
Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon. 400-5500 feet; 19; May 3.
Wing 9 (2) 241, 246; culmen from base 9 (2) 31.5, 34 mm.

Not rare but its secretive habits made the birds difficult to find in the for-
est. They often went about singly or in pairs and when in a feeding tree, fed
with the least noise and disturbance not flying about from branch to branch
like most pigeon species. One only realized that there were birds in the tree
after they had flushed from it one after the other.

Macropygia phasianella tenutrostris Bonaparte

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 24,19; May 16-17.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2000-4200 feet; 4 4, 19; April 20-26.

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000-6000 feet; 6 $, 29; May 3-12.

Wing ¢@ (12) 179-197 (av. 185.4), 9 (4) 176-184 (av. 179); culmen from base ¢ (12) 23.5-25 (av.
24.1), Q (4) 20.5-21 (av. 20.6 mm.); weight g (10) 155-199 (av. 170.4), 9 (3) 160-180 (av. 172.3 gr.).

Compared with the birds from Luzon, Negros, and Mindanao, the Min-
doro specimens do not differ.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 33

Rather common and met with from sea level up to about 6500 feet alti-
tude. It has a wide altitudinal range.

The birds were occasionally encountered in groups of about 5 to 7 or 8
members as they went about to feed. They frequented fruiting trees left
standing in new clearings, at the forest edge, inside original forest, in second
growth, and even in well cultivated areas with fruiting trees along the sides
of the fields.

Streptopelia bitorquata dusumiert (Lemminck)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1; May 26

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 2 ¢; April 10.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2¢,29; April 6-11.

Wing ¢ (5) 159-171 (av. 163.6), Q (2) 161, 168; culmen from base ¢ (5) 21-24.5 (22.6), 2 (2)
22.5, 22.5 mm.; weight ¢ (4) 140-155 (av. 148.7), @ (2) 145, 150 gr.

The Mindoro birds are similar to specimens from Luzon, Mindanao, and
Negros.

Fairly common in the lowlands especially in the rice fields that were left
fallow while waiting for the next planting season. The birds were often seen
on the ground and in the low trees around the open fields.

One of the female specimens had enlarged gonads in April.

Streptopelia tranquebarica humilis (Temminck)
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 24,19; March 28-April 11.
Wing ¢ (2) 133, 136, 9 133; culmen from base ¢ (2) 18.5, 20, 9 19.5 mm.; weight ¢ (1) 91,
© 100 gr.

Specimens from Mindoro have very slightly shorter wings than birds
from Indo-China, otherwise both are similar.

Rather rare, unlike S. b. duswmieri. It was observed in open lowland
country, including fallow rice fields, and in clearings with second growth
patches along the sides. The birds were either on the ground or in the second
growth trees.

Both males and the single female that were collected in March and April
had enlarged gonads.

Chalcophaps indica indica (Linnaeus)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 19; April 14.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 24,19; March 31-April 11.

Wing ¢ (2) 146, 150, Q (2) 141, 146; culmen from base 6 (2) 22.5, 24, Q (1) 23.5 mm.;
weight @ (1) 141, Q (2) 110, 124 gr.

Birds from Mindoro are similar to specimens from Samar, Negros, and
Mindanao.

Philippine males compared to males from outside the Philippines such
as Nepal, Indochina, and Batjan, do not show any significant difference. The
females, however, show distinct differences, especially in the colorations of
the back of the head, neck, upper back and tail feathers.

A female from Nepal has the back of the head, neck, and upper back ruf-

34 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

ous brown; the sides of the neck distinctly rufous, this color continuing
around the upper breast; some tail feathers have a large amount of rufous on
the upper part.

An Indochina female has the back of the head, neck, and upper back dark
brown, with a slight rufous wash, becoming lighter rufous brown on the sides
of the neck and on upper breast; the tail feathers are predominantly dark
brown.

The Philippine and Indonesian females have the back of the head, neck
and upper back very dark brown, with the slightest wash of rufous, becoming
dark rufous brown on the sides of the neck and upper breast; the tail feathers
are predominantly blackish brown.

On the average the upperparts of the Nepal female seem to have the most
rufous mixed with brown, followed by that from Indochina, and then by
those from the Philippines and Indonesia. There is a gradual decrease of the
rufous wash on the underparts of the female from Nepal, to that from Indo-
china, and to those of the Philippines and Indonesia. Conversely, there is a
gradual decrease in intensity of the dark brown underparts of the female
from Indonesia, to that from the Philippines, from Indochina and from
Nepal.

A more thorough study of the different populations of C. 7. indica from
different regions should be made. Hachisuka (1939, 46-47) placed the popu-
lation of the Philippines in a separate race, C. 7. pileata (Scopoll).

Nowhere abundant, but not rare. Frequently encountered singly in orig-
inal forest, second growth patches, along well vegetated creeks, and even in
well cultivated areas where patches of trees are found between fields.

Gallicolumba luzonica platenae (Salvadori)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 2 ¢, 19; April 14-May 17.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; April 1.

Wing ¢ (2) 158, 159, 9 (2) 145, 148; culmen from base ¢ (2) 23.5, 24, Q (2) 24, 24 mm.; weight
3 (2) 168, 189, @ (2) 180, 184 gr.

The Mindoro bleeding heart pigeon is distinct from the races on the
other islands.

Not really rare, but very local in distribution. It seemed to prefer a rather
dry type of forest floor, either in original or secondary forest, especially on a
gently sloping hill or mountainside. Once a bird was flushed in a certain area
of the forest, others were frequently seen near-by. Large areas of the forest
would be covered, yet no bird could be flushed again, until the first one was
seen and others were most likely near-by. ‘The birds produced very character-
istic wing sounds as they took off from the forest floor that were unlike the
sounds produced by Chalcophaps i. indica. After hearing these wing beats,
a collector soon learned to know merely by listening whether the species oc-
curred in the area.

Typically, the bird ran very fast on the ground and was most difficult to
follow in the semi-darkness of the forest, especially when it ran brokenly at
different speeds. ‘The forest floor, often mottled with variously shaped spots

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 35

of light and shadows made it still harder to detect the outline of the bird
even if it was standing still.

Famity PSIT TACIDAE, Parrots

Prioniturus discurus mindorensis Steere

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 2¢,39; April 14-May 15.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 9g, 109; March 27-April 8.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 4500 feet; 3 ¢, 29; April 19-23.

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000-5500 feet; 1 g ; May 6.

Wing @ (14) 161-176 (av. 166.9), 9 (14) 155-174 (av. 162.1); culmen from front margin of cere
g (14) 20-22.5 (av. 21.8), 9 (14) 20.5-23 (av. 21.5 mm.); weight ¢ (14) 122-155 (av. 141.6), Q (10)
140-160 (av. 146.6 gr.).

The Mindoro form is one of the distinct races of P. discurus and cannot
be mistaken for any of the others from the other islands of the Philippines.

Commonly encountered inside original forest in the lowlands and high-
lands up to about 5500 feet altitude. Birds were also met with in cleared
areas and even in well cultivated fields where there were small remnants of
forest trees in fruit or a banana grove in full fruit.

The species was often observed in small groups of five or six up to a dozen,
and the whole group often alighted on a particular fruiting tree to feed. A
flock could easily be heard at a distance because of the constant screechings
and screamings.

In newly opened land adjoining virgin forest, Racquet-tailed Parrots
were very destructive to the green maturing fruits of the banana (Musa
sapientum and Musa paradistaca) which they relished.

Three females had enlarged gonads in April.

Tanygnathus lucionensis lucionensis (Linnaeus)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 2 ¢; April 15.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 6,59; March 29-April 11.

Wing ¢@ (8) 194-201 (av. 197.2), Q (5) 187-198 (av. 189.6); culmen from front of cere g (8)
32-35 (av. 33.1), 9 (5) 30-31 (av. 30.3 mm.; weight ¢ (3) 221-229 (av. 225), Q (3) 220-211 (av.
220.3 gr.).

We have compared our series of Mindoro specimens with series from
Negros (8 , 8 ¢) and Mindanao (7 4, 3¢, 1 sex?) and examined one speci-
men from Basilan (sex?) and one specimen from Samar ( ¢ ).

We find no significant differences in coloration and plumage pattern
among the birds of the different series and in the single specimens from
Basilan and Samar, other than normal fluctuating variations including those
of age.

The Mindoro, Samar, Negros and Basilan specimens overlap in their
measurements. The Mindanao series averages much smaller wing and tail
compared to the rest.

Salomonsen (1953:218-219) named the Negros population as T. 1. nigro-
rum. He describes the adult male as having ‘“The blue colour on head strong
and bright, covering not only crown and nape, but extended over the fore-
head almost to base of bill, and over the ear-coverts, lores and cheeks.” We

36 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

cannot find this distribution of the blue color as described above, in our
series of Negros birds. Salomonsen also recognizes T. 1. horrisonus Bangs and
Peters for the Basilan population. We do not see any significant difference
between our Basilan specimen and those from Mindoro, Negros, and Samar.

We consider nigrorum and horrisonus as synonyms of lucionensis.

We, however, accept Hachisuka’s koikez for the Mindanao population
based on the significant difference in wing and tail measurements which
are definitely smaller when compared to birds from Mindoro, Negros, Samar,
and Basilan. The amount of blue on the head is a character which we find to
be very variable even in birds of the same population.

Loriculus philippensis mindorensts Steere

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1 ¢; May 25.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢, 19; April 14-May 17.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2¢,29; March 20-April 11.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500 feet; 19; April 21.

Wing ¢ (4) 95-101 (av. 97), 2 (4) 95-103 (av. 98.7); culmen from front of cere ¢ (4) 15-16
(av. 15.4), 2 (3) 15, 15, 15 mm.; weight @ (4) 35-40 (av. 37.2), Q@ (3) 35-42 (av. 39 gr.).

The Mindoro race is sufficiently distinct from the other races of Loriculus
philippensis.

Fairly common and often encountered in original forest in the lowlands,
and rarely in the highlands up to about 4000 feet altitude. The Hanging
Parakeet was also found in second growth and even in well cultivated areas,
especially in coconut groves.

Several birds of this species were often observed feeding on the fruits of
Ficus in company with other birds, especially Phapitreron leucotis, Megal-
aima haemacephala, Hypsipetes philippinus, and Dicaeum trigonostrigma.

Parakeets were frequently seen and heard in the coconut groves in Cala-
pan, among well populated areas.

The species is one of the very common cage birds in the Philippines.

Famity CUCULIDAE, Cuckoos
Cuculus fugax pectoralis (Cabanis and Heine)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 4,19; May 18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢; April 3.

Wing ¢ (2) 177, 184, 9 177; culmen from base ¢ (2) 25, 26, Q 25.5 mm.; weight ¢ (2) 70,
80, 2 68 gr.

Mindoro specimens are similar to birds from Negros.

Apparently the species begins to breed even while in its juvenal plumage,
because the Mindoro female, which is still in juvenal plumage, had enlarged
ovaries, and a Negros female with mixed juvenal and adult plumage had
already a large oviduct egg at the time of capture. The Negros male had de-
finitely enlarged testes while still in mixed juvenal and adult plumage.

Rare and was taken only in dense original Dipterocarp forest.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 37
Cuculus micropterus micropterus Gould

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢; April 26.
Wing ¢ 196; culmen from base ¢ 35 mm.

First record of this rare migrant for Mindoro, and the second time for the
Philippines. It was first recorded on Negros by Whitehead, and this single
record served for many years as the basis for including the species in the avi-
faunal list of the Philippines. Since then two additional specimens have been
secured on Negros by Rabor, both in juvenal plumage.

The Mindoro specimen is in juvenal plumage and shows the characteris-
tic broad rufous tips to the wing feathers. Compared to specimens from In-
dia, the Mindoro bird agrees very well especially in the colors of the upper-
parts and the broad black bars on the breast, abdomen and flanks.

Cuculus saturatus horsfieldi Moore

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 29; April 8-11.
Wing 9 (2) 189, 190; culmen from base @ (2) 27.5, 27.5 mm.; weight 2 (2) 80, 80 gr.

Second record of this species for Mindoro as far as we know. Peters (1939:
90) recorded C. optatus optatus Gould from Mindoro in April, 1937. This
name is now a synonym of C. saturatus horsfieldi.

C. saturatus has been recorded previously from Mindanao, Negros,
Palawan and Siquijor. Not a rare winter migrant in the Philippines, the spe-
cies may easily be mistaken for the much rarer C. micropterus and C. canorus.
In fact, it is possible that the past records of C. canorus in the Philippines
may not all be of this species but may have included C. saturatus. C. canorus
seems much rarer as a migrant in the Philippines than C. saturatus as more
recent collections have shown.

C. saturatus is differentiated from C. micropterus by the slate gray upper
parts and narrower black bars on the underparts. C. m. micropterus has typi-
cally distinct broad blackish subterminal bars on the tail feathers, contrasting
clearly with the pale brown color of the proximal parts.

From C. canorus, the present species is distinguished by being smaller and
the bill shorter and stouter; the breast and under tail coverts more buffy;
the bars on underparts deeper black, broader, and more sharply defined.

Cacomantis variolosus sepulcralis (S. Miiller)

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500-3600 feet; 2 ¢; April 20-23.
Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 5000 feet; 1 9; May 12.
Wing ¢ (2) 121, 122, 9 116; culmen from base ¢ (2) 23, 23, 9 22.5 mm.; weight ¢ (2) 20,

30 gr.

Compared with specimens from Negros, the Mindoro birds are much
darker but duller chestnut on the underparts and much darker brown with
much less trace of gray even on the head and neck.

Compared with birds from Mount Malindang, Zamboanga Peninsula,
Mindanao Island, the Mindoro birds have a darker and duller chestnut on
the underparts with a bronzy sheen instead of green.

38 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

A young male adult from Antipolo, Rizal Province, Luzon Island, also
shows the dull chestnut coloration on the underparts, but compared with the
Mindoro birds, it appears much brighter. However, the upperparts of both
the Luzon and Mindoro birds are similar.

Arranged in a series the birds from Negros have the palest and dullest
chestnut underparts, followed by those from Mount Malindang, then by
those from Basilan and Cebu (with more intense and definitely brighter
chestnut), then by the specimen from Luzon, and lastly by the Mindoro birds
with definitely darker but duller chestnut.

Rare and difficult to find among the top branches of the taller trees in
Midmountain forest. The bird often kept on calling aloud and it was no
problem to locate the perching tree, but it often perched on the large
branches so that from below it was easily hidden from view.

Surniculus lugubris mindorensis new subspecies

Type.—Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University, No.
34,685, from Alcate, Victoria (altitude 200 feet), Mindoro Island, Philippine
Islands. Adult male collected March 31, 1954, by D. S. Rabor.

Diagnosis.—Like S. 1. chalybaeus Salomonsen of Luzon Island, but differs
in having definitely longer wing and tail and being more glossy on head, neck
and mantle, and the entire underparts.

Measurements—Wing 8 (3) 132-137 (av. 134.6), 9 134; tail ¢ (3) 120-
126.5 (av. 123.5), ¢ 120; culmen from base ¢ (2) 26, 26, @ 27; tarsus 3 (3)
16!5, 16:5, 16.5, ¢ 16.5 mm.; tail index 89:5-92.3; weight ¢ (3) 40-2 a(ax-
Al) Leake ST ea

Salomonsen (1953:235-238) gives the measurements and the tail indices
of various Philippine races of S. lugubris as follows:

Race Wing Length Tail Length Tail Index
S. 1. minimus (8) 118-125 112-117 93.6-94.9
S. 1. velutinus (15) 114-12] 98-108 83.1-90.0
S. L. sulwensis (4) 123-126 115-121 93.5-96.0
S. 1. chalybaeus (4) 122-127 109-112 88.5-94.8
S. 1. mindorensis 132-137 120-126.5 89.5-92.3

The figures after the names show the number of specimens examined.
For comparison, we added the figures for the new subspecies at the end of
the list.

Color of unfeathered parts.—Iris dark brown; bill black; legs and feet
lead gray; nails dark brown.

Range.—Mindoro Island, Philippine Islands.

Remarks.—The following races have been described for the species in the
Philippines:

Surniculus lugubris minimus Baker; Palawan.
Surniculus lugubris velutinus Sharpe; Basilan and Mindoro.
Surniculus lugubris chalybaeus Salomonsen; Luzon.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 39

Surniculus lugubris suluensis Salomonsen; ‘Tawi- Tawi, Sulu Archipelago.
Surniculus lugubris mindorensis Ripley and Rabor; Mindoro.

Field notes——The species was not rare and its very characteristic call was
frequently heard from some tree of the first or second storey, in Dipterocarp
forest, and in remnant patches in partly cleared areas. ‘The bird often perched
motionless on some branch staying that way for long periods, from time to
time uttering its call. ‘To a casual observer it could easily be mistaken for the
Drongo, Dicrurus balicassius balicassius which was also found in the same
habitat type.

The single female in the present series had a ripe egg in the oviduct that
was broken. Apparently May is part of the breeding season of the species on
Mindoro Island.

Eudynamys scolopacea mindanensis (Linnaeus)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1¢,19 mm.; May 24-27.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2 4; April 3-11.

Wing ¢ (3) 195-206 (av. 201); culmen from base ¢ (3) 33.5-35 (av. 34.5 mm.); weight ¢ (3)
189-203 (av. 194.3 gr.).

Mindoro birds do not differ from Mindanao specimens.

Not common and when present in the vicinity, was difficult to see among
the dense foliage and tangles of the tops of tall trees and vines, at the center
of which the bird often stayed. The very loud notes, uttered day and night,
carried far, and locating the perching tree was not a problem. However, lo-
cating the bird among the dense foliage and tangles of vines was difficult. All
the while the bird would continue calling. The only way was to remain con-
cealed and silent and wait for the bird to flush to another nearby tree.

Its call was a very loud ‘““Kwa-hao, kwa-hao,” etc. repeated many times.

Centropus steeret Bourns and Worcester

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 19; May 18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 4 $, 39; March 31-April 7.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500 feet; 1 ¢; April 24.

Wing ¢ (5) 152-165 (av. 156.6), 9 (4) 160-166 (av. 161.7); culmen from base ¢ (5) 40.5-43.5
(av. 41.7), 2 (4) 43.5-44.5 (av. 44.1 mm.); weight 4 (4) 175-200 (av. 183.7), 9 (4) 190-238 (av. 214
gr).

Fairly common in the lowland Dipterocarp forest although occasionally
it ranged as high as 2500 feet up in the mountains in transition Dipterocarp-
Midmountain forest. This species was never observed in tall grass.

This species occupies the niche that C. melanops occupies in the islands
where the latter is found.

Centropus viridis mindorensis (Steere)

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 19 imm.; April 10.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 6¢,1¢ imm.,39; April 15-May 18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 3¢,29,1¢ imm.; March 30-April 7.

Wing ¢ (9) 143-158 (av. 153.7), 9 (5) 163-175 (av. 171.8); culmen from base ¢ (9) 28-30 (av.
29.2), 9 (5) 31-32.5 (av. 31.8 mm.); weight ¢ (6) 104-140 (av. 123-3), 9 (2) 150, 165 gr.

This melanistic race of C. viridis occupies the equivalent niche on Min-

40 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

doro Island that C. viridis viridis occupies in the islands where it is found.

The female has definitely larger dimensions than the male in all aspects,
including wing and tail length, size of culmen, tarsal length, and weight.

Some specimens show faint indications of rufous on the wing coverts. One
female, Y.P.M. collection, No. 34,655, has some of the wing coverts very deep
rufous, showing the close relationship between this race and viridis.

Found frequently in dense second growth, in tall grass especially along
the river banks and even in nearby cleared areas with dense patches of sec-
ond growth beginning to develop. Occasionally it was found in dense growth
at the edge of the forest where a clearing had been prepared. It was not ob-
served in the highlands.

Centropus toulou javanensis (Dumont)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 19; May 24.
San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢; April 15.
Wing ¢ 134, 9 164; culmen from base ¢ 25, 9 29 mm.; weight 9 140 gr.
The Mindoro specimens are similar to a specimen from Negros Island.
Not as common as C. v. mindorensis. The two present specimens were
collected in dense, tall grass growing in open areas, and several other birds
were seen perching on the top of tall grass in the wide grassland areas along
the banks of the Magasawang-Tubig River.

FamiILy ST RIGIDAE, Ow.Ls

Ninox scutulata randi Deignan

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢,19; April 18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 4¢; 19; April 2-6.

Wing 3 (5) 230-242 (av. 234.2), 9 (2) 218, 225; culmen from base ¢ (5) 26.5-28 (av. 27.1), 2
(2) 26, 27.5 mm.; weight ¢ (4) 200-220 (av. 211.2), 9 220 gr.

This Philippine resident race of the hawk owl was frequently mistaken
for N. s. japonica and records of its collection on several islands were mis-
taken for those of japonica. Whitehead’s record of N. s. japonica could have
been actually either this race or japonica.

‘The Mindoro specimen does not differ from typical N. s. randi specimens
from Negros Island.

The most distinguishing features of this race that differentiate it from
japonica are:

a. the definitely larger bill

b. the much darker chocolate brown and deeper rufous on both the
upperparts and the underparts

c. the much larger feet.

It is, of course, possible for both the resident randi and migrant japonica
to be found on Mindoro Island, as has been the case on Siquijor, Negros,
and Mindanao.

In the Ripley collection, there is a young bird from Fuga Island, north

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 4]

of Luzon, collected by Mr. Graciano Castaneda on 28 June, 1936. It is
definitely a resident bird judging from its age and plumage. Delacour and
Mayr (1946:118) write that “It is possible that the species nests on the small
islands north of Luzon (Calayan, Fuga, Camiguin North).” Compared with
randi the Fuga Island bird is much paler on the upper parts, in this respect
being very close to japonica. A bird of about similar age collected on
Mindanao Island has the upper parts definitely much darker, and even at
this early age, already shows the dark brown upper parts, similar to that of
the adult of the resident randi.

Deignan (1951:41) comments that “A form of the species is resident on
some of the small islands between Formosa and Luzon. If distinct from
florensis, they must perhaps be called Ninox scutulata totogo Momiyama
(Amoeba, vol. 3, nos. 1-2, p. 68: Botel Tobago). . . .” In the Peabody Mu-
seum collection is the type specimen of N. s. yamashinae Ripley which
Mishima (1956:33-34) has synonymized with N. s. totogo. This bird is defi-
nitely much darker than the young bird from Fuga Island, and is even
darker than rand.

The problem still remains that there is a pale resident race of N. scutu-
lata on Fuga and the nearby islands north of Luzon, which closely resembles
japonica but is not this race. In addition to this unknown resident race on
these small islands, japonica also occurs there as a winter visitor.

Prefers to stay among the dense foliage of the lowest storey trees of the
Dipterocarp forest. The migrant japonica was frequently taken in dense
second growth and trees growing along the banks of dry creeks, as was the
case on Negros and Siquijor. More rarely it was taken also within heavy
Dipterocarp forest.

Ninox philippensts mindorensis Ogilvie-Grant

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 3 ¢; 39; March 30-April 7.
Wing ¢ (3) 162-175 (av. 168), 9 (3) 161-165 (av. 163.3); culmen from base ¢ (3) 21-23.5 (av.
22.5), 2 (3) 22-23 (av. 22.3 mm.; weight ¢ (3) 108-118 (av. 112.6), 9 (2) 100, 105 gr.

The Mindoro race of the boobook owl is easily distinguishable from the
races on the other islands by the well developed spotting on the head, neck,
and upperparts which, as a whole, gives these parts a distinctly barred look.
The forms from the Visayan Islands (except Cebu, Sibuyan, Tablas) have
the upperparts plain and the underparts distinctly striped. The races from
the southern Philippines in general have well developed spotting on head
and neck and color and pattern of upperparts that closely resemble those of
mindorensis, but have underparts that resemble those of the races from the
Visayan Islands, showing a condition roughly intermediate between those of
the birds from these two regions.

Fairly common and their notes were frequently heard at night, coming
especially from the forest edge and from the newly cleared areas with some
forest trees still left standing. ‘The species was frequently flushed from the
darker portions of the original forest.

492 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS
Famity CAPRIMULGIDAE, FROGMOUTHS, GOATSUCKERS

Eurostopodus macrotis macrotis (Vigors)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 3 ¢; April 15-May 18.
Wing ¢ (3) 258-265 (av. 262); culmen from frontal feathering ¢ (3) 10, 10, 10 mm.; weight ¢
(3) 125-140 (av. 130.6 gr.).

Mindoro specimens compared with Mindanao and Luzon birds do not
differ appreciably in plumage coloration and measurements.

Hachisuka (1935:112-114) recognized the Mindanao population, named
mindanensis (Tweeddale) as a distinct race differing from macrotis of Luzon,
Mindoro, and Basilan, in smaller dimensions, darker top of head, and in
general, in being a more blackish form. The birds of the present series from
Luzon (1), Mindoro (3), and Mindanao (7), do not support Hachisuka’s
criteria for Tweeddale’s race.

Not infrequently flushed from the forest floor of the Dipterocarp forest
in the lowlands and the rolling country. At sunset as many as half a dozen
birds habitually passed and fed for about five minutes over the wide clearing
where we had our main camp in San Luis, Naujan. The birds would fly
back and forth and hawk insects, calling all the while. We could easily trace
their course by their loud whistling notes.

Caprimulgus macrurus manillensis Walden

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000 feet; 19, 2 downy nestlings; May 13.
Wing 9 177; culmen from frontal feathering 9 12 mm.; weight 9 53 gr.

The Mindoro bird does not differ appreciably from Luzon and Negros
specimens.

The bird was taken from its nest of leaves on the forest floor, beside a
trail that followed the edge of a clearing in original Midmountain forest.
Two downy young were taken with it.

The day before, the same bird flushed when approached closely. A care-
ful inspection of the place resulted in the finding of the nest and the young.
The next day it was taken by a snare set for it on the nest.

Both of the downy young are covered with buff down and the wing
feathers are still in the sheath. In one, the ends have started to come out.

Rare in the highlands, but more often encountered in the lowland
forests where they were not infrequently flushed from the forest floor.

FamMiILy APODIDAE, Swirts
SUBFAMILY A podinae, SWIFTS
Collocalia vestita mearnst Oberholser

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 5350 feet; 19,19 imm.; May 3.
Wing @ 114; tail 9 146; tail furcation 4; tarsus 9 8.5 mm.; tail index 40.3; weight 9 9 gr.
The single adult female specimen from Mindoro is similar to two adult
males from Mindanao of this race. The feathered tarsi in all three specimens
are very evident.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 43

The present form and C. inexpectata amelis are indistinguishable in the
field. Their plumage colors and body measurements are very close. How-
ever, when examined in detail the feathered tarsi and the brownish gray
chin and throat of C. v. mearnsi differentiate it from C. 7. amelis with its un-
feathered tarsi and dark brown chin and throat.

We have found both forms breeding inside caverns in the highlands and
making the same kind of nest which are “black nests” made mainly of moss
and a sparse mixture of plant fibers, glued together with hardened saliva.

Various workers make use of the feathering on the tarsus to distinguish
C. v. mearnsi from C. 1. amelis, the latter form supposedly having unfeath-
ered tarsi. However, in a series of 9 males and 9 females from the Miatan
Caves in Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindanao Island, one male and three fe-
males showed various degrees of feathering on the tarsi, but accompanied
by the other characters, including the dark brown chin and throat of C. 1.
amelis. It appears as if the tarsal feathering is a variable character and not
really to be relied upon for distinguishing C. v. mearnsi and C. 1. amelis.

The Mindoro specimens were taken inside a deep dark crevice at the
foot of a cliff near the summit of long Peak. Several birds flew in and out
of this crevice. Three nests were found attached to the walls in a very dark
place, but only one was fresh at the time. It was placed deepest inside the
crevice, resting on a narrow ledge, with one egg inside.

The nest was similar to the nests of C. 7. amelis that we collected inside
the Miatan Caves in Mindanao, and was composed of moss and a mixture
of plant fibers, all compactly glued together by the hardened saliva of the
bird. The thickest layer of hardened saliva was at the side that attached the
nest to the rock wall. The inside lining was made of feathers which appeared
to be those of the birds themselves. The single egg was a large, rather blunt
oval with the smaller end very slightly more pointed, and measured 20.5 x
14 mm. The shell was white and of fine texture, with practically no gloss.

The other Philippine form of C. inexpectata is germani which produces
the edible nest of commerce. It seems odd to place amelis and germani to-
gether as races of the same species, considering that the former does not
produce a nest that is in any way similar to that of the latter.

Collocalia esculenta bagobo Hachisuka

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 5350 feet; 3¢, 39; May 12.

Wing @ (3) 102.5-104 (av. 103.5), 2 (3) 101-104 (av. 102.6); tail 4 (3) 37-38.5 (av. 37.6), 9 (3)
38-40.5 (av. 39); tail furcation 1.5-2.5 (av. 2); culmen from frontal feathering ¢ (3) 4, 4, 4, Q
(3) 4, 4, 4 mm.; tail index 36-39.3; weight ¢ (3) 4, 4,4, 9 (3) 4,5, 5 gr.

The Mindoro specimens show intermediate characters between those of
bagobo of Mindanao and tsonota of the northern Luzon highlands, but with
the tendency to be closer to bagobo; thus we are placing our series in the lat-
ter form.

In the intensity of the blue green color of the upper parts and the brown
of the chin and throat, tsonota is lightest and the Mindoro specimens come
closest to bagobo, although not as intense.

44 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

In the intensity of the brown color of the feathers on the breast and
abdomen, the Mindoro specimens come closest to bagobo.

In the extent of the white on the underparts, especially on the abdomen,
isonota has the most and bagobo the least. The Mindoro specimens come
closest to bagobo.

In tail furcation, the Mindoro specimens have the least (1.5-2.5 mm.),
while zsonota (2.5-4 mm.) and bagobo (2.5-4.5 mm.) are about the same.

In tail index, the Mindoro specimens (36-39.3) come closest to isonota
(35.3-38.8), and bagobo (39.1-42) is definitely higher than either.

The birds were nesting in a shallow cavern that was really more of a
cavity than a cave, under a huge overhanging rock, at the base of the summit
of Ilong Peak. A mist net that was strung across the entrance to the cavern
secured the present series of specimens.

On the walls of the cavern, in the darker parts, there were several old
nests which were no different from the nests of marginata as described by
McGregor (1909: 356) and by Rabor (1954: 53-55).

SUBFAMILY Hemiprocninaé, CRESTED OR TREE SWIFTS

Hemiprocne comata major (Hartert)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢; April 14.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2 ¢; April 2.

Wing ¢ (3) 137-139 (av. 138.3); exposed culmen ¢ (3) 5.5-6.5 (av. 6 mm.); weight ¢ (3) 18-20
(av. 19.3 gr.).

The Mindoro specimens resemble more closely the birds from Luzon.
Negros birds (2 6, 59) have the tendency to have, on the average, slightly
larger wing and tail, and slightly lighter metallic blue crown.

Based on size, the Mindanao and Basilan birds, H. c. comata, have the
smallest measurements, followed by those from Mindanao and Luzon, and
the largest are those from Negros, H. c. major.

The intensity of the chestnut on the ear coverts in the males varies very
much within each of the different populations from the different islands.

Not common, this species showed preference for clearings made inside
original forest, where the birds were occasionally encountered in pairs. They
were observed perching on bare branches of the second storey or first storey
trees that were left standing inside the clearings located at the forest edge.

The birds sallied forth from these high bare branches and caught insects
on the wing, after which they frequently went back to their perches. Unless
disturbed a great deal, a pair of these birds would be found on the same
perch day after day.

Its twittering call was very characteristic.

FamMiLy ALCEDINIDAE, KINGFISHERS

Alcedo atthis bengalensis Gmelin

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2 4; April 2-3.
Wing ¢ (2) 72, 72; culmen from base ¢ (2) 42.5, 44 mm.; weight ¢ (2) 30, 30 gr.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 45

Very common along the rivers, creeks, sea shore, and around Lake
Nauyjan.

It is strange that until now there has not been any authentic record of
breeding of this species in the Philippines. However, it is probable that this
species breeds in the Philippines, on the different islands where it is recorded.
Delacour and Mayr (1946: 137) are of the opinion that some of the birds of
this race are resident in the Philippines but write that, “Most of the Philip-
pine birds seem to be winter visitors.”

Ceyx erithacus vargast Manuel

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 19; April 14.
Wing 2 57 mm.; culmen (broken); weight 9 19 gr.

The Mindoro specimen has very few black feathers on the forehead,
representing the dark spot on this part, that is characteristic of C. erithacus.
A juvenile female, C. e. erithacus Upper Assam, India, in the Y.P.M. col-
lection has this dark spot on the forehead already well developed.

The very close resemblance in coloration between C. ertthacus and C.
rufidorsus makes them virtual sibling species.

Delacour and Mayr (1946: 137) comment that the habits of both C. r.
rufidorsus and C. erithacus are like those of C. lepidus in being birds of the
forest. ‘The Philippine form, C. lepidus margarethae, has always been ob-
served in the forest, preferably not far from streams. Occasionally, it has been
taken in second growth close to streams, but not very far from patches of
original forest. We have collected both the present specimen and C. r. rufi-
dorsus deep inside original forest but not near any stream.

Based on the criteria given by Voous (1951: 184) for potential hybrids,
it is conceivable that this specimen might be a hybrid from the following
characters:

a. practically no black frontal mark except for the lightest vestige
represented by very few blackish tips to the rufous feathers of the fore-
head

b. presence of rufous feathers and spots of rufous on the larger upper
wing coverts, and on the mantle and back.

However, lacking comparable material, we prefer for the present to
identify it as a specimen of vargas?.

This species is at present confined only to Mindoro in the Philippines.

Ceyx rufidorsus rufidorsus STRICKLAND

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢ April 15.
Wing ¢ 72; culmen from base ¢ 36.5 mm.; weight ¢ 14 gr.

The single Mindoro specimen possesses the characters of pure rufidorsus
without the black frontal mark, blue earpatch or black feathers on the upper-
parts, which, according to Ripley (1942: 58-59) and Voous (1951: 184), are
hybrid characters of rufidorsus-erithacus progeny.

A female specimen from Borneo, in the Y.P.M. collection, has a large

46 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

black frontal mark and a small blue earpatch and shows these hybrid
rufidorsus-erithacus characters. Other characters are similar to those of the
Mindoro specimen of rufidorsus.

Very rare and preferred the interior of original Dipterocarp forest.

Pelargopsis capensis gouldi Sharpe

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 44,29; May 22-27.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 29; April 2-5.

Wing ¢ (4) 143-148 (av. 145.5), Q (4) 152.5-155 (av. 154.1); culmen from base ¢ (4) 83.5-87
(av. 85.2), 9 (4) 83-91 (av. 86.8 mm.); weight (4) 143-180 (av. 154.5), Q (3) 182-225 (av. 205.6
gr.).

Some specimens have the tips of their bills well worn appearing rounded
and blunt, instead of pointed, the part lost sometimes measuring from 5 to
7 mm. in length.

Very common along the large rivers such as the Magasawang-Tubig,
Baco, and Lumangbayan-Butas rivers. It was also common around Lake
Naujan.

It perched frequently on branches of trees that grew on the edge of the
lake or river, selecting those branches that overhung the water directly.
From here it plunged on fish below.

The species was never seen far from water.

Halcyon smyrnensis gularis (Kuhl)

Lake, Naujan, 25 feet; 19; May 27, 1954.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢, 19; April 15-May 17.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 44,49; March 28-April 8.

Wing ¢ (4) 125-131 (av. 127.5), 9 (6) 126-129 (av. 126.6); culmen from base $ (4) 64-66 (av.
65), Q (6) 63.5-65.5 (av. 64.5 mm.; weight ¢ (4) 75-85 (av. 78.7), 9 (3) 79-85 (av. 81.3 gr.).

Compared with specimens from Luzon, Negros, and Mindanao, the
Mindoro birds do not differ appreciably.

Rather common and was encountered even in the well cultivated coun-
tryside, sometimes even rather far from water. It showed preference for the
foothills in areas of mixed clearings and forest, both original and second
growth. However, the bird was never encountered inside original forest,
although it was met with often in the outskirts, preferably in clearings, near
a creek or river.

FAMILY MEROPIDAE, BEE-EATERS

Merops viridis americanus P. L. S. Miiller

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 24,19; April 6-8.
Wing ¢ (2) 116, 121, 9 119; culmen from base ¢ (2) 38.5, 43.5; weight ¢ (2) 30, 34, Q 30 gr.
The Mindoro birds do not differ appreciably when compared with
specimens from Negros and Mindanao.
Not common and local in distribution. These Bee-eaters preferred wide
open fields with tall grass or with small second growth patches where they

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 47

perched on trees occasionally, as they wandered about in search of food.
‘They were even found in well cultivated fields with some tree growth along
the edges. Occasionally, they were encountered in the clearings made in
lowland forest, especially when a few trees were still left standing.

‘The female had enlarged gonads in April, showing that this month must
be part of the breeding season.

FAMILY CORACIIDAE, ROLLERS
Eurystomus orientalis cyanicollis Vieillot

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1 9; May 22.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 29; April 18-May 18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 44,49; March 29-April 11.

Wing ¢ (4) 186-190 (av. 187.8), 9 (7) 175-199 (av. 190); culmen from base ¢ (4) 33-36.5 (av.
35), Q (7) 31.5-36 (av. 33.8 mm.); weight ¢ (1) 130, 9 (2) 100, 139.5 gr.

The Mindoro specimens do not differ in plumage color from Luzon,
Mindanao, Samar, and Negros birds, but average slightly larger, especially
in wing measurement than Mindanao and Samar birds. Mindoro birds are
closer to Luzon and Negros birds in the larger wing dimension.

Common, encountered from sea level up to about 3500 feet, at the edges
of or in clearings made on the mountainsides. The species preferred the
open where it often selected a bare branch of a tall tree at the edge of the
forest or some tree left standing in a clearing. From a perch, a bird or a pair
would catch insects on the wing and in the process would show their aerial
acrobatic abilities.

One female had enlarged gonads in April.

FAMILY BUCEROTIDAE, Hornsi ts

Penelopides panini mindorensis Steere

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 2¢,19; April 26-May 2.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2¢, 19; April 3-9.

Wing 6 (4) 242-257 (av. 250.2), Q (2) 224, 237; culmen from base ¢ (4) 100-109 (av. 105.7), 9
(2) 84.5, 93.5 mm.; weight ¢ (2) 425, 500 er.

The Mindoro race of this Philippine endemic genus is very interesting.
In this particular form the two sexes are closely similar in plumage except
for the blackish forehead of the female, thus differing from the other forms
on the various islands, which are distinctly sexually dimorphic.

Fairly common, and was most likely encountered inside original forest
at the edges of clearings and even in second growth. Occasionally, it was met
with in fruiting trees in well cultivated areas with patches of original forests
nearby. It was seen in the highlands up to about 3500 feet altitude, although
rarely.

One female had enlarged gonads in May.

48 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS
FamMiLy PICIDAE, WoopPECKERS

Dryocopus javensis mindorensis (Steere)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢; May 16.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1,29; March 31-April 8.

Wing 6 (2) 208, 208, 9 (1) 200; culmen from base ¢ (2) 50.5, 53.5, 9 (1) 50 mm.; weight ¢
(2) 207, 239, 2 197 gr.

The Mindoro form isa distinct one, coming closest to D. 7. philippinensis
from Negros Island, except that philippinensis has slightly broader red malar
stripes, whitish edges on the terminal portion of the upper mandible, and
whitish anterior half of the lower mandible, instead of the uniform blackish
for both mandibles in mindorensis.

Not rare inside the Dipterocarp forest of the lowlands and rolling coun-
try and occasionally extended its range up to about 2500 feet altitude, in
the transition Dipterocarp-Midmountain forest. Occurred also in the clear-
ings that were close to original forest.

Dendrocopos maculatus validirostris (Blyth)

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2, 19; March 29-April 3.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2700 feet; 1 ¢; April 23.

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 3000 feet; 19; May 9.

Wing ¢ (3) 81.5-83 (av. 82.1), 9 (2) 84.5, 86; culmen from base ¢ (3) 13-13.5 (av. 13.3), 9
(2) 14, 14 mm.; weight ¢ (2) 20, 20, 9 (1) 20 gr.

Not common. Encountered in clearings and inside original forest, espe-
cially where some dead trees were left standing. It was also found in Mid-
mountain forest up to about 3500 feet altitude.

This woodpecker uttered very characteristic notes that unfailingly identi-
fied the species the next time it was heard in the forest.

FamiLty PIT TIDAE, Pitras
Pitta erythrogaster erythrogaster ‘Temminck

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2 4; April 6-8.
Wing ¢ (2) 97.5, 98; culmen from base ¢ (1) 23 mm.; weight ¢ (2) 48, 55 gr.

The Mindoro specimens are similar to birds from Negros, Mindanao,
and Bongao Islands in the Y.P.M. collection.

Rare and difficult to find in its natural habitat on the forest floor of
Dipterocarp forest, preferably in the darker portions. A bird would be seen
at one place but its ability to hop long distances would enable it to escape
fast among the trees.

FAMILY HIRUNDINIDAE, SwALLows

Hirundo tahitica javanica, Sparrman

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 4 1 sex?; April 7.
Wing ¢ 107.5; tail, shortest rectrix 37.5, longest rectrix 49 mm.; weight ¢ 10 gr.

Very widely distributed in the Philippines, being found in all the larger
islands.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 49

Common and was frequently seen in flight over the wide grassland areas
along both sides of the Magasawang-Tubig River. In the same biotope, the
migrant species, Hirundo rustica gutturalis, was also found. Occasionally,
several birds of the resident form were seen perching on some bare branches
of trees on the bank of the river. In other parts of Mindoro these birds were
sometimes seen perching on telegraph wires along the roads.

Hirundo rustica gutturalis

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 19; April 8.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; April 10.
Wing @ (2) 106, 108; culmen from base @ (2) 12, 13 mm.; weight 9 (2) 10, 10 gr.

This migrant species was very common from the sea coast up to the
mountain localities at about 3000 feet altitude.
Both specimens that were collected had the wing and tail in molt.

FamMILy LANIIDAE, SHRIKES
Lanius cristatus lucionensis Linnaeus

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 19; April 10.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 19; April 12.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2 ¢; April 3-6.

Wing ¢ (2) 85, 87, 9 (3) 85.5-87 (av. 86.1); culmen from base ¢ (2) 20, 21, 9 20, 20, 20 mm.;
weight Q (2) 20, 38 gr.

This bird is the most common winter migrant in the Philippines, and is
very widespread among all the islands, except perhaps the smallest ones.
Found from sea level up to about 5000 feet altitude in the highlands, it
frequents cultivated areas including farms and gardens (even in cities and
towns), second growth, parang vegetation, forest clearings and edges of origi-
nal forests.

The birds begin to arrive in the Philippines usually during the second
week of September. Many birds are in the mottled plumage of the young
birds of the last breeding season. From an examination of 20 birds (9 2,
11 ¢) in the Y.P.M. collection, we have noticed that it is possible that these
young birds arrive in the Philippines in their first non-nuptial plumage with
a mixture of juvenal feathers. The juvenal feathers on the sides, flanks, and
breast are molted mainly in September, October and November, but some
may be retained as late as February, although alternatively they may almost
be all lost as early as the first part of September. The post-juvenal molt of
the remiges and rectrices takes place in October to early April. It is possible
that the young birds of the year shortly before returning to their breeding
erounds in eastern Siberia, Korea, and Manchuria in April and May, have
already completed their prenuptial molt and are in their first nuptial plum-
age, although some of these birds of the year may still have a part of the
first non-nuptial plumage mixed with the nuptial plumage at that time.

50 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS
Famity ORIOLIDAE, ORI0LEs

Oriolus chinensts chinensis Linnaeus

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1¢,39,19 juv.; May 21-24.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 2¢, 39,19 imm.; May 16-17.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2g,1¢ imm.,69,19 imm.; March 28-April 11.

Wing ¢ (5) 157-162 (av. 159.2), 9 (12) 150-161.5 (av. 155.1); culmen from base ¢ (5) 38-41
{av. 39.6), 9 (12) 37.5-40 (av. 38.5 mm.); weight ¢ (4) 90-115 (av. 101), @ (6) 89-109 (av. 92.3 gr.).

The different populations on the different islands show a great deal of
variability in both plumage colorations and measurements. ‘These measure-
ments include both those of the usual parts measured, and those of certain
characters such as:

a. the extent or depth of the yellow forehead patch
b. the width of the yellow tip of the central rectrices

c. the extent of yellow on the outer web of the outer rectrices as meas-
ured along the shaft.

In addition, important color characters which have been used in attempt-
ing to clarify the systematics of this species in the Philippines, include:

a. color of the mantle

b. occurrence or non-occurrence of olive green especially on the central
rectrices

c. presence or absence of yellow tips to the primary coverts and the inner
secondaries.

Meinertzhagen (1923: 72), Gilliard (1949b: 155-158), and Rand (195la:
591-595) made use of all or some of the above-mentioned characters in their
studies on the Philippine races of this species.

Our series of this species includes 30 adults, 11 sub-adults, and imma-
tures, and one juvenile, coming from the following localities: Mindoro (5 ¢ ,
129,346 9 imm.,1¢ juv.), Mindanao (64, 19, 28 ¢@ sub-adults, 19
imm.), Negros (36,238 ¢ imm.), Cebu (1 ¢,1¢), and Luzon (3 g imm.).
Based on the above series and on the experience of many years of familiarity
with this species in the Philippines, including examinations of the large
collection of this species in Silliman University, we realize its great varia-
bility from island to island and within each of the different populations on
the numerous islands. We also realize that no one collection or combination
of collections in any institution can really show all the variations in colora-
tions and measurements in this species. We are inclined to be conservative
in accepting the various Philippine races of this species and agree with the
treatment of Meinertzhagen and Rand in recognizing only three races—
chinensis, palawanensis, and suluensis.

We have the following observations on this species in the Philippines.

a. Adult males and females are bright yellow and sometimes with a
tinge of golden or orange, especially on the mantle of the males, but the fe-
male, even as an adult, has always the slightly dusky olive to olive green
wash on the mantle. ‘The total absence of any trace of this dusky olive or

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 51

olive green wash on the mantle of a specimen shows that the bird is definitely
an adult male, regardless of whether it has been mis-sexed as a female.

b. Both the immature and sub-adult male and female birds show this
wash of dusky olive or olive green on the mantle, and the younger the speci-
men the more intense is this wash on the mantle.

c. The presence of green or olive green on the tail feathers, especially
on the central rectrices, depends on the age of the bird. In young birds, this
green color covers a large part of the central rectrices, involving both webs.
In the adult birds this green color is often restricted to very faint edg-
ings on a very small extent of the inner web, close to the base of the feather
shaft, on the way to total disappearance.

d. ‘The character of yellow tips to the inner secondaries is very variable,
and varies a great deal in its presence or absence, and in its extent, even
within a particular population on a certain island. In the male they are often
larger and more prominent. In some male specimens these yellow tips are
very well developed, while in others they are present as mere narrow edgings,
and still in others, they are totally absent. Also, these yellow tips to the inner
secondaries easily disappear with wear.

In the female these yellow tips are narrow and often reduced to mere
edgings, or may even disappear completely.

They cannot be due to age because several young birds of both sexes do
not develop them at all.

e. The extent of the yellow color on the tips of the central rectrices is
another very variable character and these yellow tips easily disappear with
wear.

f. The extent of the yellow color on the outer web of the outermost
rectrices is also a very variable character.

g. The depth or extent of the yellow patch on the forehead is another
character which varies very much within a given population. In the different
islands of the Central Philippines group, especially, this variability is very
well demonstrated. ‘This results in difficulties in exactly assigning particular
specimens to the particular race supposedly occurring on a certain island. We
agree with Rand (1951a:595) that “. . . birds from the central Philippine Is-
lands need to have their variations studied by series.”

Very common in the second growth and well cultivated areas in the low-
lands and rolling country. Frequently heard and seen in coconut groves. Not
met with in original forest, although occasional individuals were seen at the
edges close to cultivated areas.

Several males had enlarged gonads in March, April, and May. One female
had enlarged gonads in March, and another one had an egg, complete with
hard shell, in the oviduct, when it was secured in April.

52 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS
Famity DICRURIDAE, DRONGOsS

Dicrurus balicassius balicassius (Linnaeus)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 19; May 26.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 53, 2¢ imm., 89, 19 imm.; April 18-May 20.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 74,49; March 28-April 4.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500 feet; 1 9 ; April 24.

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon. 4000 feet; 1 ¢; May 10.

Weight 4 (5) 65-83, 2 (6) 65-90 gr.

“Mindoro specimens are similar to Luzon birds.

Common in original and secondary forests and ranged normally from the
lowlands and rolling country up to about 3000 feet altitude, although once it
was encountered at about 4000 feet altitude in the highlands.

A very curious and inquisitive bird, often approaching people in the for-
est. Frequently, it acted as an ‘“‘alarm” species, driving away accidentally

other species from the neighborhood of the human intruder.

Famity ARTAMIDAE, SWALLOW-SHRIKES

Artamus leucorhynchus leucorhynchus (Linnaeus)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 19; May 18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2 ¢,19; March 28-April 4.

Wing ¢ (2) 129, 134, 9 (2) 137, 137; culmen from base ¢ (2) 23.5, 24.5, 9 (2) 24.5, 25.5 mm.;
weight ¢ (1) 39, 2 (2) 38, 43 gr.

Mindoro specimens are similar to birds from Luzon, Mindanao, and
Negros.

Common in the lowlands and rolling country, in the cultivated areas,
open fields and clearings where trees were left growing on the sides. A few
birds were observed at about 1800 feet altitude in the cleared areas around
the Mangyan settlements in Bugayan, Mount Halcon.

We consider the Swallow-shrike the most fearless of Philippine birds. It
is not afraid to chase away from its home area, especially during the nesting
time, birds much larger than itself, including hawks and crows. Even man is
not feared sometimes, as proven by actual experience. A nesting pair swooped
down on our heads as we crossed an old clearing in the foothills, where these
birds made their home.

The species has been once observed at about 5000 feet altitude, in a large
abandoned clearing on a ridge, on Mount Malindang, Zamboanga Penin-
sula, Mindanao Island, in the midst of virgin highland country.

One Mindoro specimen had wing molt in May. All the specimens from
Luzon (5), Mindanao (10) and Negros (3) were molting on the sides in De-
cember to March.

FAMILY STURNIDAE, STARLINGS

Sarcops calvus calvus (Linnaeus)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢,29; May 16-18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 44,39; March 28-April 8.

Wing ¢ (5) 130-141 (av. 134.8), 9 (5) 131-138 (av. 132.7); culmen from base ¢ (5) 30-31.5 (av.
30.8), Q (5) 29-32 (av. 30.6 mm.); weight ¢ (4) 130-139 (av. 132.2), 9 (3) 125-140 (av. 131.6 gr.).

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 53

Mindoro specimens do not differ appreciably in the color of the upper-
parts from Luzon birds. ‘Three specimens (1 ¢ , 1 ¢ , 1?) from Aloneros, ‘Taya-
bas (= Quezon Province now), southern Luzon, and two specimens from
Bulacan, central Luzon, show in common with all the Mindoro birds, dis-
tinctly silvery gray sides and back of the neck, back, rump and upper tail-
coverts, with the mantle dark gray. In a good series, this dark gray of the
mantle stands out in contrast to the silvery gray of the remaining upper parts.
Compared to a series (10 4,4) of S. c. lowit from the Sulu Archipelago, the
Luzon and Mindoro eray-backed birds differ distinctly in the dark gray man-
tle, whereas Sulu birds have the entire upper parts uniform silvery gray with
no differentiation of the silvery gray of the mantle from the silvery gray of
the remaining upper parts. In S. c. melanonotus, the same area that becomes
dark gray in calvus becomes blackish gray, blackish or distinctly black. We
agree with Rand (1951:59) that the color of the back is “*. . . a conspicuously
variable character... .”

The presence of occasional silvery-backed specimens among birds taken
on islands which are definitely occupied by the black-backed race, and vice-
versa, has been reported by several workers. Ogilvie-Grant (1906:470) writes
that “In the islands of Marinduque, Guimaras, and Basilan, we find birds re-
ferable to both forms, some being typical grey-backed S. calvus, while others
have the back distinctly blackish and approach the typical eastern form.”
McGregor (1909:719) writes that ‘““Chese intermediate birds occur in Basilan,
Bohol, Marinduque, Tablas, and Cebu. In Luzon and Bohol, at least, both
varieties and intermediate specimens have been found.” Rand (loc. cit.) com-
ments that “... in southern Luzon both types are recorded; also occasional
specimens of one type are found in the range mostly occupied by the other.
... Gilliard (1949a:3) writes about “a large, dark gray-backed population
inhabiting Zamboanga and Basilan... .”

The Ripley collection has one male specimen from Basilan with the sil-
very gray upper parts and dark gray mantle of typical calvus and distinct
enough from lowi?. Its measurements compare very favorably with birds from
Mindoro and Luzon. Even the almost total absence of the whitish filoplumes
on the throat (a very variable character in the three races of calvus), is no dif-
ferent from some specimens from Mindoro and Luzon. Yet, Basilan Island
is normally occupied by the black-backed race melanonotus.

There are several possibilities to explain the presence of calvus- or lowtt-
plumaged birds on islands normally occupied by melanonotus.

a. One very likely one is that caged birds of the races not normally found
on the island may be brought in and accidentally released. If collected later,
the birds would be different from the race expected normally on the island.

b. Caged birds of the races not normally found on the island may escape
accidentally and hybridize with the local subspecies. ‘The character for color
of mantle includes silvery gray, dark gray, blackish gray, blackish, or black—
and are perhaps represented by a series of three or more allelomorphic genes
that behave normally, each one with complete dominance over the others.
Just what is the order of dominance is not exactly known.

54 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

c. The migration of some birds of one race to islands occupied normally
by birds of another race. For example, it is possible for birds from Samar
(melanonotus) to fly over, accidentally or otherwise, to southern Luzon and
hybridize in the natural state.

Thus, birds that look like typical calvus and typical melanonotus were ob-
served in southern Luzon. Of these different possibilities, introduction as
caged birds, with resulting escape and hybridization is the most likely ex-
planation. Sarcops calvus is one of a few bird species that are frequently kept
as cage birds and brought by migrating families from island to island, by
sailboats or power boats. Other bird species that are commonly kept as caged
birds include Tanygnathus lucionensis, Loriculus philippensis, Kakatoe
haematuropygia, Phapitreron leucotis, and Oriolus chinensis.

We agree with Rand (loc. cit.) and Amadon (1956:36-37) in recognizing
only three races of S. calvus:

1. S. c. calvus (Linnaeus).—Northern Philippines (Luzon, Polillo, Catan-
duanes, Mindoro) S. c. mindorensis Gilliard is a synonym.

2. S. c. melanonotus Ogilvie-Grant.—Central and southeastern Philip-
pines, from Panay and Samar to Basilan and Mindanao. S. c. similis Salo-
monsen and S. c. minor Salomonsen are synonyms.

3. S.c. lowit Sharpe.—Sulu Archipelago.

Common, and was met with inside original Dipterocarp forest, in clear-
ings and in second growth.

One female had an egg complete with the hard shell inside the oviduct, at
the time it was collected in April.

FAMILY CORVIDAE, Crows

Corvus enca pusillus ‘Tweeddale

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 14,39; May 16-19.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 3, 19; 1 sex?; March 28-April 10.

Wing @ (4) 230-250 (av. 242.7), 9 (4) 240-250 (av. 245); culmen from base @ (4) 53-55 (av. 54),
Q (4) 50-52.5 (av. 51.8 mm.); weight g (3) 250-285 (av. 265), Q (2) 260, 267.

C. e. pusillus from Mindoro average longer wing, tail, and tarsus than
samarensis from Samar Island. ‘The bills of both forms average the same
length although that of samarensis, being definitely deeper, gives the impres-
sion of being shorter.

Not rare and was met with in virgin forest and at the edges of forest clear-
ings. Its notes sounded like “wek-wek-wek,” repeated from time to time con-
trasting distinctly with the “wak-wak-wak” of C. macrorhynchus philippinus,
a species also seen in new clearings adjacent to and in original forest areas
where C. e. pusillus normally was found.

Corvus macrorhynchus philippinus Bonaparte

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 49; March 31-April 7.
Wing 9@ (4) 286-299 (av. 293); culmen from base 9 (4) 57-62 (av. 59 mm.); weight 9 (4) 360-
430 (av. 401 gr.).
The Mindoro birds are similar to specimens from Luzon, Negros, and
Mindanao.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 55

Common in the cultivated areas, in secondary forests, and occasionally at
the edges of original forests where clearings have just been made. The birds
seemed to prefer the vicinity of human habitations and were seen very fre-
quently in the trees that grew as hedges along the sides of cultivated fields,
and in coconut groves. They were considered by the farm people as one of the
worst enemies of their chickens, both as chicks and as eggs in the nest.

Famity CAMPEPHAGIDAE, CuckKOo-sHRIKES

Coracina striata mindorensis Steere

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢ 39; April 14-May 17.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 6 ¢,49; March 28-April 8.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500 feet; 1g, 19; April 20.

Wing ¢ (8) 157-170 (av. 164.1), Q (8) 159-168.5 (av. 162.4); culmen from base ¢@ (8) 31.5-33
(av. 32.4), 2 (8) 30.5-35.5 (av. 31.9 mm.; weight g¢ (5) 89-100 (av. 95.7), Q (6) 80-100 (av. 94.8 gr.).

The Mindoro race has the male and female in similar plumage, being
uniform gray, except for the lores, nasal plumes, line around eye, jaw and
chin, these parts being black in the male and gray in the female. In this
respect, the Sulu race, C. s. guillemardt, resembles the Mindoro race. All the
other races show different degrees of barring of black and white in both sexes.

In C. s. striata from Luzon, Lubang, and Polillo, the male very closely re-
sembles in plumage the male of C. s. mindorensis, having the plumage all
eray except for very faint white barring on the rump. The female of striata
has the plumage dark gray with bold black and white barring on the rump
and upper tail-coverts, abdomen, crissum, and under tail-coverts.

The plumage pattern of the male in cebuensis and diffiicilus resembles
that of the male in striata, but the female differs from that of striata in hav-
ing the rump gray, not barred.

The plumage pattern of the female of C. s. striata becomes the plumage
pattern of the males of panayensis and kochii, and the females of these two
races have the entire underparts barred black and white.

Types of differentiation in plumage pattern of the different races of C.
striata in the Philippines can be listed in the following way: (see Plate 2)

A. Male and female possess the same or very similar uniform gray plum-
age, both on upper parts and underparts, with minor differences on the head
region. This is the condition in C. s. guillemardi and C. s. mindorensis. We
consider the uniform gray plumage in both sexes as the primitive type of
plumage of the species.

B. The male continues to possess the uniform gray plumage on the upper
parts and the underparts and beginnings of narrow and faint barring of
white on the rump. The female still possesses the uniform gray on most of
the upper parts, but on the underparts, the gray remains only from the chin
down to the breast. The abdomen, crissum, and under tail-coverts have be-
come barred black and white. This is the condition in striata, cebuensis and
diffictlis, a primarily heterogynic variation. It is worth noting that this varia-
tion does not necessarily occur only on “‘small” island populations contra
Mayr (1942) who felt that feminization of male plumage seems to develop

56 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

only in well isolated and rather small populations. In this case there seems to
be a general evolutionary tendency towards the assumption of a female-like
plumage by the males, which asserts itself throughout the entire geographic
range of the species, and only in isolated instances such as in the Philippines
is it possible to trace this development back to the more primitive plumage
pattern of Coracina (Ripley, 1941).

C. The male is uniform gray on the upper parts, and on the underparts
is also gray from the chin down to the breast, then becomes barred black and
white on the abdomen and crissum and under tail-coverts. The female has
the upper parts uniform gray and on the underparts has patches of solid gray
mixed with black and white barring on the breast, becoming clear black and
white bars on the abdomen, crissum and under tail-coverts. This is the condi-
tion in panayensis.

D. The male is uniform gray on the upper parts. On the underparts the
oray is limited to the chin, throat and breast, the belly becoming barred with
black and white, extending down to the crissum and under tail-coverts. The
female is also still uniform gray on the upper parts but becomes barred with
black and white on the entire underparts. This is the condition in kochit.

E. Both sexes are uniform gray on the upper parts and entirely barred
black and white on the underparts. This is the condition in the young of
kochii and panayensis. This plumage persists into the adult in the female of
kochii, but becomes a different plumage mixed solid gray and barred black
and white in the female of panayensis.

It appears that in all the Philippine races that developed the barred black
and white underparts, the females have initiated changes in the plumage
ahead of the male.

The evolution of plumage differentiation in the Philippine races of
Coracina striata seems to be towards uniform gray upper parts and uniform
barred black and white underparts, from chin down to under tail-coverts in
both sexes, showing both variation of sexual dimorphism and heterogynism.

Not uncommon and was found in original forest, second growth, and
even among the trees inside clearings. Rarely it was encountered in the high-
lands up to about 3500 feet altitude.

Coracina morio elusum (McGregor)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢; May 17.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢, 19; March 31-April 1.
Wing ¢@ (2) 133, 135, 9 129; culmen from base ¢ (2) 24.5, 25.5, 9 24.5 mm.; weight ¢ (2)
ati PLN OD 7s Fa te
The Mindoro race is very similar to the Mindanao form, C. m. mindan-
ense, except for the rump and upper tail-coverts, abdomen, and crissum,
which in elusum are uniform with the back and breast, respectively, but are
definitely much lighter in mindanense.
Not common and met with in the forest or at the edges, perching fre-
quently in the trees of the tallest storey. Occasionally it was seen in Mid-
mountain forest at about 4000 feet altitude.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 57

Lalage melanoleuca melanoleuca (Blyth)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢@; May 16.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; April 1.
Wing ¢ 119, 9 119; culmen ¢ 23.5, 9 23.5 mm.; weight ¢ 49 gr.
The Mindoro male does not differ from a male from Los Banos, Laguna
Province, Luzon.
Rare. Both specimens that were collected were taken inside original Dip-
terocarp forest, among the dense foliage of the trees of the tallest storey.

Famity PYCNONOTIDAE, BULBULS
Pycnonotus goiavier gotavier (Scopoli)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1 4; May 24.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 2 ¢; May 15-19.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; March 31.

Wing @ (3) 79-86 (av. 83.3), 9 79; culmen from base ¢ (3) 18-19 (av. 18.6), 9 17 mm.; weight
4 (2) 21, 30, 2 20 gr.

The Mindoro specimens resemble very closely the birds from Luzon in
being very slightly darker brown on the upper parts as compared to Negros
birds.

Common and frequently encountered in cultivated fields, open country
and patches of bush, shrub or tree growth, among hedges of farms, in clear-
ings and second growth. Found even in the gardens in towns and cities,
among human habitation.

Delacour and Mayr (1946:175) comment on the species that it “Does not
ascend in the hills above 3000 feet.” On Mount Malindang on Mindanao, the
species, represented by P. g. sulwensis, was observed in two clearings in the
midst of original Midmountain forest at about 4500 and 5000 feet altitude.
It seems that the main factors determining the altitudinal range of the species
are the nature of the countryside and type of vegetation, so that up to about
5000 feet altitude, the species may ascend as long as there is the much needed
clearing, preferably an old one, and the plant species on which the bird feeds.

The lone female had enlarged gonads in May.

Hypsipetes philippinus mindorensis (Steere)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 3¢; 19; May 22-23.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 10¢, 119; April 14-May 20.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 31 ¢, 119, 2 sex?; March 29-May 22.

Barawanan Peak, 2000-4500 feet; 44, 109; April 19-23.

Ilong Peak 3000-5500 feet; 2¢,29; May 4-12.

Wing ¢ (22) 100.5-108 (av. 103.5), @ (21) 92-103 (av. 99.2); culmen from base ¢ (22) 25.5-27.5
(av. 26.7), Q (21) 25-27.5 (av. 26.2 mm.); weight ¢ (22) 25-45 (av. 39), 9 22-41 (av. 37.7 gr.).

The Mindoro race is the most distinct of the four forms that have been
recognized for the species from various parts of the Philippines.

The Mindoro Bulbul is the most common bird in the original forest of
Mindoro both at the edges and inside, from the lowlands to about 5500 feet
altitude. It was also found in clearings, in second growth, especially in the

58 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

foothills, and even in well cultivated areas with plenty of tree growth, includ-
ing coconut groves.

On the small islands off the main coast of Mindoro, such as those imme-
diately in front of the harbor of Calapan, this species was virtually the only
passerine found.

The notes of the Mindoro form sounded much harsher than those of the
other three races, philippinus, guimarasensis, and saturatior.

Famity MUSCICAPIDAE, BABBLERS, FLYCATCHERS, WARBLERS, ‘[HRUSHES
SUBFAMILY Muscicapinae, FLYCATCHERS

Muscicapa hyperythra mindorensts (Hachisuka)

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000-4500 feet; 34,39,29 juv.; May 5-12.
Wing ¢ (3) 60.5-61 (av. 60.8), 2 (3) 60-60.5 (av. 60.3); culmen from base ¢ (3) 13-14 (av. 13.5),
Q (3) 13.5-14 (av. 13.6 mm.); weight ¢ (3) 8-9 (av. 8.3), Q (3) 6-9 (7.3 gr.).

The Luzon and’ Mindoro populations have always been placed together
as M. h. luzoniensis by workers on Philippine birds, except Hachisuka (1935:
299) who separated the Mindoro bird as M. h. mindorensis. He based his
recognition of the Mindoro form as distinct from luzoniensis on a “. .. more
extensive and deeper buffish chestnut on throat and breast” which “. . . is
particularly noticeable in the female, which also has more of a yellowish olive
tinge throughout the upper parts, and bill more slender.”

Our present Mindoro specimens compared to birds from Luzon show
distinct differences, especially in the males. The Mindoro males have defin-
itely more extensive and more intense orange buff on the throat and breast,
when compared to Luzon birds. In the females the same difference is indi-
cated but not as much as in the males.

In measurements the two populations do not show significant differences,
including the length of the bill.

The buffy orange on the breast of the males increases in intensity in the
order: luzoniensis—mindorensis—nigrorum—malindangensis. In the fe-
males, -‘luzoniensis and mindorensis are olive brown on the back, while nz-
grorum and malindangensis are dull slate gray, with a faint wash of olive
brown, on the lower back and rump.

It is interesting to note that the upper parts of the male of montigena
from Mount Apo, Mindanao, approximate very closely the coloration of the
upper parts of the females of the various Philippine races, including the fe-
male of montigena itself. In montigena the male and female differ from each
other very slightly, especially on the colors of the back and tail. In the other
Philippine races there is distinct sexual dimorphism.

Not rare in the highlands of Mount Halcon, but its unobtrusive habits
and its preference for the dark and deeply shaded portions of the lower
growths of Midmountain and Mossy forests and under climbing bamboo
jungles, made it difficult to collect. Some birds even stayed on the ground
itself, or close to it, often perching on the ground.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 59
Muscicapa rufigaster mindorensis (Mearns)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 24,19; April 15-18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 6 3,49; March 29-April 3.

Wing ¢ (8) 73-78 (av. 76), 9 (5) 72-74.5 (av. 73); culmen from base ¢ (8) 16.5-17.5 (av. 17.1),
Q (5) 15-17 (av. 16 mm.); weight ¢ (3) 13-18 (av. 15 gr.).

The Mindoro birds compared with specimens from Negros, Cebu, Min-
danao and Basilan, show a slightly darker blue on upper parts and richer
orange rufous on the throat and breast, and the under tail-coverts are pale
buffy orange instead of white. The lower part of the abdomen is white in all
the Philippine races.

All four Philippine races, litoralis (Palawan), simplex (Luzon, Marin-
duque), philippinensis (Sulu Archipelago, and all other islands of the Philip-
pines except Mindoro), and mindorensis (Mindoro) differ from one another
very slightly.

Not rare and frequently met with in the original lowland Dipterocarp
forest, usually on the lower branches of the understorey trees, and*preferably
in the darker and well-shaded areas of the forest. Occasionally it was seen in
dense second growth especially along the small creeks that were well over-
grown with trees.

The bird usually uttered a sort of hissing note when disturbed, but it
also had a very melodious call which was more rarely given.

Four males had enlarged gonads in March and April. One female had a
broken egg in the oviduct ready to be laid in April.

Muscicapa griseisticta (Swinhoe)

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢@,19; March 29.
Wing ¢ 80, 2 81; culmen from base ¢ 13.5, 9 13.5 mm.

This winter migrant was not common. Both birds were taken at the edge
of a new clearing, perching on a leafless branch of a second growth tree. From
time to time the birds sallied forth from their perch after insects but always
came back to the same perch.

These specimens showed molt on the head and breast and, in the female,
also on the mantle in March.

Muscicapa panayensis nigrimentalis (Ogilvie-Grant)

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4500-5200 feet; 3 4,49; May 3-10.
Wing ¢ (3) 75-78.5 (av. 76.8), 9 (4) 72.5-75.5 (av. 74); culmen from base ¢ (3) 15-16 (av. 15.6),
Q (4) 15, 15, 15, 15 mm.

The Mindoro specimens are similar to Luzon birds. M. p. nigrimentalis
has the greatest amount of black on the head region, involving the entire
face, and forming a distinct mask; nzgriloris comes second, with the lores en-
tirely black; panayensts is at most only blackish on the lores. Viewed from a
certain angle, the black bases of the loral feathers in panayensis do not show,
and the lores appear a uniform bright azure with the rest of the face.

The underparts also vary sufficiently in the three Philippine races as to
distinguish them from one another.

60 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

M. p. nigriloris from Mount Apo and Mount Malindang, Mindanao, is
the most distinct of the three forms.

Rather rare and restricted to the highlands, this species preferred the
higher branches and the tree tops of the taller stories. Occasionally, however,
it was observed in the darker and more shaded portions of the forest, perching
on the branches of the lower stories.

One male had enlarged gonads in May.

SUBFAMILY Monarchinae, MONARCH FLYCATCHERS

Monarcha azurea azurea (Boddaert)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 2¢,19; May 21-22.

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢,19; May 18-19.

Alcate, Victoria, 100 feet; 5 @, 39; March 29-April 5.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2000-2600 feet; 1g, 39; April 20-23.

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 3000 feet; 1 ¢; May 9.

Wing ¢$ (10) 65-71 (av. 67.8), 9 (8) 62.5-69 (av. 65.3); culmen from base ¢ (19) 15-15.5 (av.
15.1), (8) 15-15.5 (av. 15.1 mm.); weight ¢ (5) 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 9 (3) 8-17 (av. 11.6 gr.).

The Mindoro specimens compared with birds from Luzon, Negros, and
Mindanao do not show any significant difference either in plumage colora-
tion or in measurements. ‘The female of the species has the tendency to be
slightly smaller than the male, and this difference is expressed especially in
the wing measurements.

The colors of the unfeathered parts in the fresh specimens are noted as
follows: Iris, dark brown; bill grayish blue, blackish at tip; legs and feet dark
bluish gray; nails blackish.

Four males had enlarged gonads in April and May.

Terpsiphone cinnamomea unirufa Salomonsen

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 5 ¢; April 15-May 16.
Wing 3 (5) 84-90 (av. 87.4); culmen from base ¢ (5) 22-23.5 (av. 22.7 mm.); weight
& (5) 18-20 (av. 19 gr.).

Two of the five males from Mindoro have well developed streamers and
the remaining three have the central rectrices just slightly elongated as com-
pared to the next longest pair. Birds from Luzon, Lubang, Mindoro, Tablas,
and Sibuyan develop these long streamers, but only in a relatively small num-
ber of males. The large collection of this species in the Philippine National
Museum before the war (it was burned in 1945 with the rest of the bird col-
lection during the liberation of Manila) contained many magnificent speci-
mens from the northern islands with well developed and greatly elongated
streamers. Nevertheless, in this collection, the males with only slightly
elongated central rectrices were in the majority.

Hachisuka (1935:323) writes about this race as having “. . . a general
tendency for the adult birds to attain darker rufous and only those inhabiting
the northern islands acquire the long streamers. ‘The proportion, however, is
small—out of twenty-five specimens examined in the rufous stage only four

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 61

measured 190 mm., while the remainder measured 120 mm. (the central pair
exceeding only by 10 mm., the next pair).”’

Unirufa appears to be polymorphic on some of the northern islands as on
Luzon, Lubang, Mindoro, Tablas, and Sibuyan, developing two types of
male plumage—one with the elongated streamers and the other with the
normal or close to normal tail feathers. The Negros population belongs to
the latter, no specimens ever having been obtained with extended streamer
tails. In this respect, Negros birds resemble the males on the islands of the
southern Philippines—Mindanao, Basilan, and Sulu Archipelago.

Further collecting, especially on Negros, Panay, Masbate, Cebu, Bohol,
Samar, and Leyte should be made to prove definitely whether the popula-
tions on these islands are distinct from the northern unirufa on the one hand,
or the southern cinnamomea on the other.

Four males had enlarged gonads during April and May.

SUBFAMILY Pachycephalinae, THICKHEADS OR
SHRIKE-BILLED FLYCATCHERS

Pachycephala plateni mindorensis (Bourns and Worcester)

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500 feet; 1 ¢; April 18.

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000-5000 feet; 19¢, 1¢ imm.; 109, 39 imm.; May 3-14.

Wing ¢@ (19) 81.5-88 (av. 84.6), 9 (10) 78.5-85.5 (av. 82); culmen from base ¢ (19) 17.5-18.5
(av. 18.1), 9 (10) 17-19 (av. 18 mm.); weight ¢ (16) 19-24 (av. 20.6), 9 (9) 20-23 (av. 20.7 gr.).

Compared with P. p. albiventris from northern Luzon, the Mindoro
specimens, P. p. mindorenstis, are sufficiently distinct, being definitely darker
and duller olive green on the head and upper parts, especially on the lower
back and rump. Another very similar form is P. p. crissalis from southern
Luzon.

Arranged in series, albiventris, crissalis, and mindorensis from a natural
group that shows very close similarities among themselves. Farther south one
finds P. p. winchelli from Tablas, Sibuyan, Masbate, Ticao, Panay, Negros,
Cebu (roughly in the central Philippines), and P. p. homeyeri from the Sulu
Archipelago, forming another group. All these races have some white on the
belly in contrast to the yellow-bellied northern group belonging to the spe-
cies Pachycephala philippinensis.

The group of plateni subspecies, albiventris-crissalis-mindorensis, re-
sembles the philippinensis group in having the upper parts more or less olive
green but differs distinctly in possessing the characteristic white belly. Based
on the adult plumage, the various races of plateni fall into two natural
groups, the albiventris-crissalis-mindorensis group and the winchelli-home-
yeri group. Delacour and Mayr (1946:216) emphasize the distinctness of these
groups by doubting “whether or not these 5 forms are actually members of a
single species... .””

It is interesting in this connection to note that the juvenal plumages of
the immature birds of both the defined species, philippinensis and plateni
are similar in being chestnut.

62 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

Common in the highlands, especially between 4000 and 5500 feet alti-
tude.
Many males and females had enlarged gonads in May.

SUBFAMILY Sylviinae, WARBLERS
Cisticola juncidis tinnabulans (Swinhoe)

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 19; April 10.
Wing, 41.5; culmen from base, 11 mm.; weight 5 gr.

The lone Mindoro specimen does not differ appreciably from Luzon
birds. The wings of Philippine birds in the Y.P.M. collection average
slightly shorter than Indochina specimens, otherwise the two populations
are similar.

The present species lives side by side, and is found frequently, in the
same grassland tract as the next one, C. exilis rustica. However, C. j. tinnabu-
lans is not as common as C. e. rustica. The former species prefers the grass
and bush areas in open fields close to swamps and marshes, hence it is found
more frequently near damp situations. C. e. rustica prefers the same type of
grass and bush areas, and also in open fields but usually in drier situations
such as those found on hillsides and sloping, rolling country.

It is difficult to distinguish these two races in the field. In the hand, C. 7.
tinnabulans is distinguishable from C. e. rustica by having less rufous on
crown, and the tail feathers having wide white tips and black subterminal
bars. In C. e. rustica the crown is rufous chestnut with or without blackish
streaks, and the tail feathers are blackish with narrow buff tips (not white and
wide, and with no black subterminal bars).

Cisticola exilis rustica Wallace

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 3g, 19; April 10.
Wing ¢ (3) 43-46.5 (av. 44.5), Q 45; culmen from base ¢ (3) 11-12 (av. 11.6), 9 12 mm.;
weight ¢ (3) 18, 18, 18, 9 17.5 gr.

Compared with specimens from Mindanao, Negros, and Palawan, the
Mindoro specimens do not differ markedly.

The four Mindoro specimens of this species were taken in the same gen-
eral area where the lone specimen of C. juncidis tinnabulans was collected.
They were all secured in idle rice fields that were left fallow for several
months and by that time were already covered with a mixed growth of
bushes and tall grass. There were also numerous patches of nipa palms, Nipa
fruticans, along the small creeks which produced marshes in some places. Ad-
jacent to one such patch, but in the open field with bush and tall grass
erowth, the lone specimen of C. juncidis tinnabulans was taken. All four
species of C. e. rustica were taken among the bush and tall grass growth in the
vacant fields quite far from the marshes and the patches of nipa palms where
it was much drier.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 63
Locustella certhiola ochotensis (Middendorf)

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 19; April 10.
Wing ¢ 65; culmen from base 9 17 mm.; weight 9 gr.

This rare winter migrant was taken inside a dense patch of bushes at the
edge of a marsh, very close to a large patch of nipa palms, in the foothills, ad-
jacent to a wide plain, already well cultivated with rice fields.

On Negros Island this migrant was taken several times among the dense
foliage of some of the low trees in Mangrove forest swamps close to the sea
shore.

Megalurus timoriensis mindorensis Salomonsen

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢; April 15.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢; March 29.

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4500-5500 feet; 5,39; May 6-12.

Wing ¢ (7) 67.5-81.5 (av. 74.4), 2 (3) 68.5-76 (72.6); culmen from base ¢ (6) 17.5-20 (av. 18.5),
Q (3) 18.5-20 (av. 19 mm.); weight ¢ (6) 22-35 (av. 28.1), Q (3) 22-40 (av. 29 gr.).

Birds from Mindoro, M. t. mindorensis, average darker chestnut on crown
and nape and darker olive brown on flanks, when compared with specimens
from Luzon, M. t. tweeddalei, and with those from Mindanao, M. t. crex. In
our series of mindorensis none shows the light chestnut crown and nape of
tweeddalei. The yellowish tinge that suffuses the breast and abdomen that
Salomonsen (1953:265) describes is characteristic of young adults and dis-
appears with age. This yellowish tinge is found in all the Philippine races of
M. timoriensis.

M. t. crex of Mindanao differs definitely from tweeddalei only in the
presence of the obscure blackish shaft streaks in addition to the chestnut on
the crown and nape, otherwise, based on the mere intensity of the chestnut
on crown and nape, there is no valid difference between tweeddalei and crex.
The upper parts and underparts in these two forms are similar.

Birds from Negros are intermediate between tweeddalei and mindorensis
in some characters and mindorensis and crex in others. ‘The crown and nape
in the Negros population closely approach in the intensity of the chestnut,
the average intensity of that in mindorensis, but in some specimens the vague
blackish streaks are present as in crex. At present, based on our materials on
hand we prefer to place the Negros birds with the Mindanao population,
crex, while waiting for more specimens.

No significant differences exist in the measurements of the three Philip-
pine races, except that tweeddalei tends to have a slightly larger bill, and crex
slightly smaller, with mindorensis tending to be intermediate. Negros birds
again come closest to the Mindanao population in measurements.

Four males and two females of our Mindoro series were molting on head
and body in May. One male showed, in addition, molting of the rectrices.

Not really rare especially among the dense climbing bamboo forest in the
higher elevations of Mount Halcon. However, collecting these birds in these
dense climbing bamboo jungles was very difficult. The birds were more often
heard than seen.

64 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

At lower elevations the species was found in tall grass, dense shrubbery
and bush growth along the edges of clearings, especially close to the second
growth patches.

‘Three males and one female had enlarged gonads in May.

Megalurus palustris forbesi Bangs

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1 ¢; May 22.

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 3¢,49; April 9-10.

Wing ¢ (4) 97-100 (av. 98.5), @ (4) 84-98 (av. 90.1); culmen from base ¢ (3) 22-23.5 (av. 22.6),
Q@ (3) 21.5, 21.5, 21.5 mm.; weight ¢ (3) 40.5-41 (av. 40.8), 9 (3) 40-45 (av. 42 gr.).

Mindoro specimens are similar to birds from Luzon and Mindanao.

Rather common in the open grassland areas, especially in the extensive
tall grass tracts along the sides of the Magasawang-Tubig and Baco River.
Also found common in the vacant rice fields that were left fallow at the time,
feeding in the vicinity of grazing carabaos and cattle. Frequently one or two
birds were observed feeding actively on the insects that were disturbed by the
feeding bovines. The birds walked (not hopped), one foot after the other,
close to the feeding cattle or carabao, even passing under the animals with-
out fear.

When disturbed, the bird or birds usually alighted on the top bare
branches of the nearest tree, where they stayed for some time, often calling
actively. When things had quieted down, they flew down and resumed the
feeding beside the grazing cattle.

Two birds had molted their rectrices in April and in one of them, also
the remiges.

Phylloscopus trivirgatus benguetensis new subspecies

Type.—American Museum of Natural History of New York, No. 416890
from Haight’s Place, Benguet, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Adult female col-
lected April 30, 1930, by Francisco Rivera.

Diagnosis —Like P. t. nigrorum, but differs in the superciliary line,
throat and remaining underparts being distinctly dull greenish yellow instead
of bright yellow.

Measurements.—Wing ¢ (3) 55-56.5 (av. 55.5), 2 (3) 52.5-54.5 (av. 53);
tail ¢ (3) 38.5-41 (av. 39.6), @ (2) 38.5, 41; culmen from base ¢ (3) 11.5-12.5
(av. 12), @ (3) 11-5213 (av. 12.1); tarsus ¢ (3) 19.5-20 (av. 20),-9 (G) 9a
(av. 19.1 mm.).

Range.—The highlands of Luzon and Mindoro.

Remarks.—Mindoro birds are intermediate between Negros and Luzon
specimens, in having the underparts slightly brighter yellow than in bengue-
tensis from the Northern Luzon Highlands, but not as bright yellow as in
nigrorum from Negros. The Mindoro specimens measure closest to bengue-
tensis and so are placed in this race.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS

65

The following is a summary of the measurements of the different popu-
lations from Northern Luzon, Mindoro, and Negros:

Northern
Luzon Mindoro Negros
Wing 3 (3) 55-56.5 3 (14) 53-56.5 3 (15) 55.5-60
(55.5) (54.8) (58.4)
Q (3) 52.5-54.5 Q (13) 51-55 Q (16) 54.5-61
(53) (52.8) (56.8)
Tail 3 (3) 38.5-41 6 (14) 35.5-39 3 (15) 36-43.5
(39.6) (37.7) (40.8)
Q (2) 38.5-41 9 (13) 34.5-39.5 Q (16) 36.5-43
(39.7) (36.4) (39)
Culmen 3 (3) 11.5-12.5 $ (14) 12-13.5 6 (15) 12.5-13.5
from base (12) (12.5) (13.2)
Q (3) 11.5-13 @ (13) 12-13 Q (16) 12.6-13.5
(2m) (12.3) (13.1)
Tarsus 3 (3) 19.5-20.5 g (14) 19-21 6 (15) 20-21.5
(20) (19.6) (20.8)
Q (3) 19-19.5 2 (13) 18-20 9 (16) 19-21.5
(19.1) (19.5) (20.2)

Field notes.—The species was common in the Midmountain forest of the
Mount Halcon highlands.

Phylloscopus borealis borealis (Blasius)

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19, 1 sex?; March 30-April 8.
Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500 feet; 1 ¢; April 19.
Tlong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4500 feet; 24; May 3-5.
Wing ¢ (3) 66.5-70.5 (av. 68.3), 9 68.5; culmen from base ¢ (3) 19-20 (av. 19.5), 9 19 mm.;
weight @ (2) 7,9, 2 8 er.
This winter migrant was very common and ranged from the lowlands at
sea level, up to the highlands at about 4000 feet altitude.
This form is one of three races of P. borealis that winters regularly in the
Philippines, the other two being P. b. kennicotti and P. b. xanthodryas.
Four specimens showed head molt in April and May and in addition, two
of the four showed molt on chin, throat and breast, primaries and rectrices.
In May, or earlier, the birds go back to their breeding areas in northern
Asia. It is possible that they start their nuptial molt in their wintering
grounds or may even complete it before migrating to their breeding areas.

Phylloscopus borealis kennicotti Baird

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; March 29.
Wing 2 65; culmen from base, 9 14 mm.

First record of this race on Mindoro.

The races of the Arctic Willow Warbler are very difficult to distinguish
from one another in the field. Actually, kKennicotti is not as rare as thought
to be in the Philippines. P. b. xanthodryas is much rarer as a winter visitor
in the Philippines than either borealis or kennicotit.

66 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS
SUBFAMILY Turdinae, ‘THRUSHES

Brachypteryx montana poliogyna Grant

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000-6500 feet; 6¢, 39,14 in female plumage, May 2-14.
Wing ¢ (6) 65.5-68 (av. 66.7), 2 (3) 63-66 (av. 64.1); culmen from base ¢ (6) 16-17.5 (av. 16.6),
Q (3) 16.5-17 (av. 16.8 mm.); weight ¢ (6) 11-15 (av. 14.8), Q (3) 15, 15, 18 gr.

Males of the Mindoro race differ but slightly from the males of the other
forms in the Philippines. The females of the present race can easily be dis-
tinguished from those of the other races, chiefly by the differences in the in-
tensity of the brown on the chin and throat and the blue-gray color of the
underparts. The race malindangensis has the smallest concealed white eye-
brow patches.

Not rare in the Mindoro highlands from about 4000 up to 6500 feet alti-
tude. Its frequent melodious notes were used as a guide in locating the bird
in dense forest growth, or very close to the ground. Its favorite habitat was
the dense jungle of climbing bamboo that formed a definite type of vegeta-
tion on the sides and ridges of many peaks of the Mount Halcon range, from
about 4500 up to about 6500 feet altitude. ‘The Blue Shortwing was often en-
countered either on the ground or perching on a low stem of the climbing
bamboo.

The members of the expedition party became very adept at imitating the
notes of the species and often succeeded in attracting the birds to come near
if they were sitting down in the dense bamboo jungle.

Several males had enlarged gonads in May.

One specimen was collected in fully adult female plumage, but the
gonads proved to be testes and in slightly enlarged condition at that!

Copsychus saularis mindanensis (Boddaert)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet, 1 ¢; May 16.
Wing 91.5; culmen from base, 21.5 mm.; weight, 29 gr.

The Mindoro specimen is similar to birds from Luzon, Negros, and Min-
danao.

Rare in the densely forested region where collecting on Mindoro was
mainly carried on, although it was not uncommon in the cultivated and
cleared areas in the lowlands, especially in clearings with second growth
patches nearby. It was even seen in coconut groves close to the Calapan Pier,
right where there were a good number of houses. Also encountered among
the hedges of well cultivated fields in Naujan, close to well inhabited places.

Turdus poliocephalus mindorensis Grant

Ilong Peak, 4000-5500 feet; 74,59; May 2-14.
Wing ¢ (7) 107-111.5 (av. 110), 9 (5) 105-108 (av. 106.8); culmen from base ¢ (7) 22.5-24.5
(av. 23.4), 9 (5) 23-24 (av. 23.7 mm.); weight ¢ (7) 40-58 (av. 48.8), 9 42-57 (av. 48.8 gr.).
The Mindoro form is the most distinct of the various Philippine races of
this species. The back closely resembles that of malindangensis but the pat-
tern of rich chestnut on the sides of the lower breast and flanks and pure

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 67

white on the middle of the breast and belly is unique. No other Philippine
race of T. poliocephalus even approximates this attractive pattern. A close
approach to this chestnut-and-white pattern on the underparts is exhibited
by T. obscurus and T. chrysolaus, both migrant forms, but with much paler
chestnut coloring.

The species began to be met with at about 4000 feet altitude, and its oc-
currence increased in frequency with increase in the altitude in the high-
lands of Mt. Halcon. Most of the specimens were collected in mountain yews,
Podocarpus, which became an abundant species above 4000 feet altitude.

Zoothera andromedae

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000 feet; 19; May 12.
Wing 127; culmen from base 29 mm.; weight 81 gr.

First record on Mindoro for this rare species.

The bird was on the ground beside a small trail that ran through dark,
dense and untouched Midmountain forest.

This is the fourth recorded specimen from the Philippines, the others
having been obtained on Mindanao.

Color of unfeathered parts in the fresh specimen: Bill black; iris coffee-
brown; legs, feet and nails, flesh.

We are not certain whether this species is a breeding resident or only a
migrant in the Philippines from the Indonesian islands.

FAMILY PA RIDAE, TITMICE

Parus elegans elegans Lesson

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500-4400 feet; 6¢,1¢ imm., 59; April 19-28.

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000-5000 feet; 11g, 89; May 2-14.

Wing ¢ (17) 64.5-68 (av. 66.3), 9 (13) 59.5-64.5 (av. 62.5); culmen from base g (15) 12-13.5
(av. 12.8), @ (13) 12.5-13 (av. 12.7 mm.); weight g (14) 9-12 (av. 10.4), Q (12) 9-13 (11.5 gr).

Our large Mindoro series consisting of 17 adult males, | immature male
and 13 adult females as a whole agrees closest to P. elegans elegans of Luzon,
although at the same time including several specimens which possess charac-
ters that are closest to those of supposed P. e. montigena.

The following characters were studied in detail in a series of seventy-four
specimens from Tayabas and Baguio, Luzon (including elegans and “monti-
gena’’), Mindoro, Negros, and Mindanao.

a. Color of the upper parts including the size of the spots.

b. Color of the underparts.

c. Color of stripe on sides of head.

d. Color of the irregularly shaped nuchal patch.

e. Color and dimensions of the light tips of the rectrices.

f. Color and dimensions of the light spots on the outer rectrices and num-
ber of rectrices so spotted.

g. Color of crissum and under tail-coverts.

h. Measurements of wing, tail, bill from base, tarsus.

68 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

Below is a summary of our findings:

1. Color of upper parts—There is no distinct difference in the color and
pattern of the upper parts that can be used to separate the Mindoro popula-
tion from both elegans and “montigena.” This character varies within nor-
mal limits in all three populations, including the size of the white spots.

2. Color of underparts——The intensity of the yellow in the underparts
varies a great deal from very intensely yellow typical of elegans, to moderately
yellow, then to pale yellow ““montigena.” When all the adult male specimens
we have from Tayabas, Luzon (2), Baguio, Luzon (4), and Mindoro (17), are
arranged in the order of the intensity of the yellow of the underparts, we
note the following:

a. The two Tayabas males (elegans) are no. | and no. 6 in the first
batch of 7 specimens with the most intense yellow on the underparts;

b. The type of “montigena” is no. 3 in the second batch of 7 with
moderately intense yellow underparts.

c. Two other “montigena” are nos. 4 and 5 in the last batch of 9 with
the least intense or pale yellow on the underparts.

Based on the intensity of the yellow color on the underparts, the Mindoro
population includes birds with underparts of the intensity of both that of
elegans and of ““montigena’’ in its series.

3. Color of stripe on sides of head.—The intensity of the yellow color on
the sides of the head is a variable character in both elegans and montigena
and in the Mindoro population.

a. The males (elegans) from Tayabas, Luzon, are nos. 2 and 9 in the
series of 23 adult males.

b. The males (“montigena’) from Baguio, Luzon, are nos. 14, 15, and
20 in the series.

4. Color of the irregularly shaped nuchal patch—This is another very
variable character in all three populations studied.

a. The males (elegans) from Tayabas, Luzon, are nos. 1 and 6 in the
series of 23.

b. The males (“montigena’) from Baguio are nos. 10, 18, and 19 in
the series of 23.

5. Color and dimensions of the light tips of the rectrices——This is the
character in which the Mindoro population tends to differ distinctly from
those of Tayabas (elegans) and Baguio (““montigena’’).

a. Elegans has broad white tips to the rectrices.

b. “Montigena” has narrow white tips to the rectrices although in one
specimen, the white tips are just as broad as in elegans. The narrowness
of the white tips may be just due to wear of the tips of the rectrices.

c. The Mindoro population has the white tips of the rectrices as broad
as in elegans and washed with buff which varies in intensity from very
pale buff (as to appear almost white), to very distinct buff.

6. Color and dimensions of the light spots on the outer rectrices and num-
ber of rectrices so spotted.—This is another very variable character in all
three populations.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 69

a. In elegans and “montigena’ and the Mindoro population, the
outer 3 or 4 rectrices bear spots which vary very much in size but which
are always largest on the outermost pair and gradually decrease inward.

b. ‘These spots are white in elegans and “montigena” but are defi-
nitely washed with buff of variable intensity in the Mindoro population.
7. Color of crissum and under tail-coverts.—

a. The Luzon populations of elegans and “montigena” have yellow
crissum and under tail-coverts.

b. The Mindoro population ranges from yellow crissum and under
tail-coverts to yellow faintly washed with buff, and then finally to defi-
nitely more buffy than yellow, which latter color is very faint. Of 15
males with the crissum and under tail-coverts intact, one has the crissum
and under tail-coverts pure yellow, 7 have the crissum and under tail-
coverts faintly washed with buff, and 7 have the crissum and under
tail-coverts definitely buff, especially on the distal ends of the feathers.
The females give one with pure yellow crissum and under tail-coverts, 7
with yellow faintly washed with buff, and 5 definitely buff, especially on
the distal ends of the feathers.

8. Measurements of wing, tail, bill from base, and tarsus —The measure-
ments overlap in the three populations.

In the light of these findings we conclude that the Luzon populations of
elegans and “montigena” and the Mindoro population overlap greatly in
many variable characters. One could describe the Mindoro population as a
distinct subspecies based on the character of a tendency to develop a buffy
wash on the white tips of the rectrices, on the light spots of the three or four
outer rectrices, and on the crissum and under tail-coverts, which character
in itself is also very variable within the population.

There is a tendency for the Luzon lowland population to be more intense
yellow on the underparts; the northern Luzon highland population to be
paler yellow; and the Mindoro population to possess a very variable intensity
of the yellow on the underparts and to exhibit both degrees of yellow of the
Luzon lowland and highland populations and, in addition, to develop the
buffy wash on light tips and spots of the rectrices and crissum and under
tail-coverts.

We are inclined, however, to place the Mindoro population with the
Luzon population described as P. e. elegans.

In view of the fact that the main characters on which the Luzon highland
“montigena”’ has been separated from lowland elegans appear to be very
variable, and indeed only tendencies at this stage of differentiation occurring
haphazardly in the Mindoro population, we are compelled to consider “‘mon-
tigena’’ as an invalid race and hereby consider it a synonym of elegans. We
consider the lowland and highland populations of Parus on Luzon and Min-
doro as all Parus elegans elegans, contra Parkes (1958:97-98.)

Common in the highlands in the Midmountain and Mossy forests, from
about 2500 feet altitude and upward.

70 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS
FAMiILy MOTACILLIDAE, WaAGTAILS
Motacilla caspica caspica Gmelin

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 1g; April 10.
San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 29; April 18-May 14.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; April 6.
Wing 6 82.5, 2 (3) 82-83 (av. 82.3); culmen from base g 16.5, 9 (3) 17.5-18.5 (av. 17.8 mm.);
weight ¢ 11, 9 (3) 12, 12, 12 gr.
Very common migrant species that was encountered in almost all rivers,
streams and ponds, and in wet open fields.

Motacilla flava simillima (Hartert)

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 1¢, 19; April 10.
Wing ¢ 83, 9 82; culmen from base ¢ 18, 9 17.5 mm.; weight ¢ 12, 9 10 gr.

This migrant Wagtail was not common. A flock of about seven birds was
seen in a newly plowed wet field that was being prepared for lowland rice
planting. It was not encountered again during the rest of the collecting pe-
riod of about two months.

Anthus gustavi Swinhoe

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 1 ¢; April 17.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 19; March 30.
Wing ¢ 81, 2 82; culmen from base ¢ 16, 9 15.5 mm.; weight ¢ 23.5, 9 22.5 gr.

Another winter migrant to the Philippines, widespread especially among
the larger islands, but very local in distribution and rarely met with.

An uncommon pipit, met only in forest. ‘The few that were seen easily
lost themselves among the low growths on the forest floor, by running very
fast from the point where they landed after being flushed from a previous
site, usually just a few feet away.

Anthus novaeseelandiae lugubris Walden

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢, 29; March 31-April 1.
Wing ¢ 84, 9 (2) 77, 78.5; culmen from base ¢ 17, 2 (2) 17, 19 mm.; weight ¢ 28.5, @ (1)
27.7 gr.

Birds from Mindoro are very similar to specimens from Luzon and Min-
danao. A single Negros male is much darker brown on the upperparts than
birds from Mindoro, Luzon or Mindanao.

Often seen in open fields which were grown to short grass or weeds and
with open exposed ground, both in the lowlands and on hillsides, but not
above 3000 feet altitude. It had the habit of perching on rocks or earth
mounds or any other ground prominence even if only a few inches higher,
that gave it a better view of the surrounding area. When approached, it
would run very fast for short distances, then fly for a bit, then light and run
fast again, to maintain what would appear to be the proper distance between
the disturbing agent and itself.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS at
FamMiILy DICAEIDAE, FLOWERPECKERS

Dicaeum bicolor inex pectatum (Hartert)

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 5g, 29; April 16-May 19.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 24,29; March 31.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 4400-4500 feet; 24; April 26-27.

Wing @ (9) 50-53.5 (av. 51.7), @ (4) 50.5-51 (av. 50.7); culmen from base ¢ (9) 10-11 (av. 10.5),
Q (4) 10-11 (av. 10.4 mm.); weight ¢ (5) 6-8 (av. 7), Q (3) 6-7 (av. 6.3 gr.).

Mindoro birds do not differ significantly in plumage from Negros speci-
mens. The gloss on the upperparts tends to vary between bluish and greenish
in both populations. There is a tendency for the Negros birds to have very
slightly longer wing and bill.

Moderately common and frequented flowering and fruiting trees of all
heights, in clearings at the edges of the forest and inside original forest. Oc-
casionally birds were encountered in second growth patches. It ranged from
the lowlands and rolling country up to the highlands at about 4500 feet alti-
tude.

D. b. inexpectatum differs very slightly from D. b. bicolor from Mindanao
in not being as deep black on the upperparts.

Two males had enlarged gonads in March and April, and one female had
an egg ready for laying when it was collected in March.

Dicaeum retrocinctum Gould

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 34,39; May 15-18.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2¢, 19; April 6.

Wing ¢ (5) 53-54 (av. 53.6), 9 (4) 50-53 (av. 51.6); culmen from base ¢ (5) 13-14.5 (av. 13.6),
Q (4) 13-14 (av. 13.5 mm.); weight ¢ (4) 6-7 (av. 6.7), 2 (3) 5-7 (av. 6.3 gr.).

This Mindoro endemic comes closest to D. papuense haematostictum of
Panay, Guimaras and Negros, especially in the pattern of the red and black
on the chest and abdomen, but with a definitely more slender bill.

Rather common and usually found in flowering and fruiting trees inside
the original lowland forest, at the edges and inside of clearings, and occasion-
ally, even in well cultivated areas, especially in coconut groves. ‘The habits
and habit preferences are those of D. papuense which it replaces on Mindoro.

D. retrocinctum forms with D. papuense a superspecies.

Four males and one female had enlarged gonads in April and May.

Dicaeum trigonostigma xanthopygium Tweeddale

San Luis, Naujan, 100 feet; 24; April 15-19.
Wing ¢ (2) 48, 49.5; culmen from base ¢ (2) 12 mm.; weight ¢ (1) 4 gr.

The present race is distinct from other races in the Philippines in the
yellow bar across the rump. Except for the yellow rump, it resembles very
closely D. t. dorsale in the colors of both the upper- and underparts, although
it is slightly smaller in measurements.

Rather rare and was met with only inside original forest, feeding on flow-
ering and fruiting trees of low and medium height in the hill areas.

One male had enlarged gonads in April.

V2 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS
FamMiILy NECTARINIIDAE, SunBirpDs

Nectarinia sperata sperata Linnaeus
Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1¢; May 25.
Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 2¢; March 30-April 8.
Wing ¢ (3) 50-52 (av. 50.8); culmen from base ¢ (3) 18-21 (av. 19.3 mm.); weight ¢ (3) 9, 9,
9 gr.

Our Mindoro male specimens average much darker olive green on abdo-
men, thighs, flanks, and crissum, compared with Luzon (4) and Samar (10)
males, in which the abdomen especially is more suffused with yellow. Min-
doro males are most similar to Negros (6) males. The southeastern Mindanao
population of N. sperata has been described by Delacour (1945:115) as a dis-
tinct race, davaoensis, based on the breast being “. . . vermilion, suffused with
yellow on base of feathers,” instead of being scarlet. ‘Ten males from Davao,
southeastern Mindanao, in the Ripley collection, average distinctly paler
red on the breast compared with specimens from Luzon, Mindoro, Samar
and Negros, which have the breast bright scarlet. In addition, Davao speci-
mens average much lighter olive green on the abdomen, thighs, flanks, and
crissum, and in many specimens, the abdomen and crissum have more yel-
low than olive green. This latter condition may be due to age—the less adult
the specimen, the more yellow on the abdomen and crissum.

The presence of the yellow area between the grayish black basal half
and the vermilion distal half on the individual feathers of the breast of the
southeastern Mindanao males of N. sperata is interesting, because this yel-
low area varies in extent in different individuals, large in some and very
small in others, but 1s always present. ‘This yellow spot is also present in the
other populations. One of our males from Mindoro and one from southern
Luzon (Tayabas = Quezon Province now) have this small yellow spot at the
usual place on the individual scarlet breast feathers. Different degrees in ex-
tent of this yellow area are also found on the scarlet breast feathers of 8 out
of 10 males from Samar, and 3 out of 6 males from Negros. A single speci-
men of N. s. henkez from Calayan Island, has yellow also in the usual place
on the scarlet breast feathers.

It appears that the size of this yellow area between the grayish black basal
half and the scarlet or vermilion distal half is variable and presumably varies
with the age of the bird, the younger the male adult, the more developed, and
the larger the size of this yellow spot on the individual scarlet or vermilion
breast feather.

Salomonsen (1952:356) describes N. s. manueli from Polillo Island as dis-
tinct from sperata, based on slightly greater size of wing and bill of 2 males
examined.

Salomonsen (1953:253-260) separates the birds from the Palawan region
(including the nearby islands of Balabac and the Calamianes), Mindoro, all
the Visayan Islands, and Eastern Mindanao, as N. s. trochilus (=N. s. minima
preoccupied). He restricts the range of N. s. davaoensis to the City of Davao
District, and considered it as most likely of “hybrid origin” between N. s.
sperata and N. s. juliae.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 73

Our present material, secured from both the Davao City District and out
of it, but also in Davao Province, agrees with Delacour’s N. s. davaoensis.

Measurements of birds from Luzon and the Visayan Islands show the
great variability of the populations in these regions. We prefer to consider
“trochilus”’ a synonym of sperata (part) and of davaoensis (part).

For the Philippine races of N. sperata we recognize the following:

N.s. henkei (Meyer)—Babuyan Islands and Northern Luzon as far south
as Rizal Province;

N. s. sperata (Linnaeus)—Southern Luzon, Polillo, Palawan, all the Vi-
sayan Islands to northern Mindanao; manueli and trochilus (= min-
ima) both of Salomonsen are synonyms.

N. s. davaoensis Delacour—Southeastern Mindanao;

N. s. juliae (Tweeddale)—Western Mindanao, Basilan, and Sulu Archi-
pelago.

Not rare and met with in original and secondary forests, especially in the
lowlands and rolling country. Also observed occasionally in coconut groves
especially those close to the forest.

One male had enlarged gonads during March.

Nectarinia jugularis jugularis (Linnaeus)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 3¢; May 24-28.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1¢; April 8.

Wing ¢ (4) 52.5-55.5 (av. 53.6); culmen from base ¢ (4) 20.5-22 (av. 21.1 mm.); weight ¢ (1)
8 gr.

All four Mindoro males have bright greenish-olive upper parts; two of
them with rather rich yellow underparts with a slight tinge of orange on the
chest, and the remaining two have moderate yellow underparts. The birds
fall under Rand’s (1951b: 601-605) categories of If D with underparts mode-
rate yellow and upper parts bright greenish olive, and III D, with underparts
rather richly yellow with a slight tinge of orange on the breast, and upper
parts bright greenish olive.

Common in the cultivated areas including farms, coconut groves, hedges,
and even in gardens. ‘The birds were also commonly encountered in second-
ary forests, in clearings made in original lowland forests, and even at the
edges of these forests but not deep inside.

Aethopyga shelleyt flavipectus Ogilvie-Grant

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1 ¢; 19; March 30-31.

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500-3000 feet; 24; April 19-20.

Wing ¢ (3) 43-46.5 (av. 44.5), 9 42.5; culmen from base ¢ (3) 16-17 (av. 16.6), 2 15 mm.;
weight ¢ (3) 3-4 (av. 3.6), 9 3 gr.

The Mindoro males average more intense blood red on mantle and
upper back compared to a male from ‘Tayabas, Luzon (= Quezon Province
now). In other characters, they are similar. The females from both islands
do not differ appreciably from each other.

Rare and was found only in original forest, both Dipterocarp and Mid-

74 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

mountain types, preferring to feed on the flowering trees of the lowest stories.
The unfeathered parts as noted in the fresh specimens had the following
colors: Iris, dark brown; bill, legs, and feet, blackish brown; nails, dark
brown.
Two males had the gonads enlarged in April.

FAMILY ZOSTEROPIDAE, WHITEYES

Zosterops montana montana Bonaparte

Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4000-5000 feet; 1¢, 19; May 5-12.
Wing ¢ 57, 9 57; culmen from base, 9 15 mm.; weight ¢ 9, Q 7 gr.

Mees (1957: 170-197) in his review of the species Zosterops montana
recognizes three races of this species in the Philippines: Z. m. whitehead1,
Z.m. pectoralis, and Z. m. montana. He bases his recognition of whiteheadt,
the population in the northern Luzon highlands on “. . . its rather small
measurements and its greener upperparts, slightly greener than in at least
the majority of the populations of the nominate race.” On his recognition
of the population in the Canlaon Volcano highland localities of Northern
Negros, Z. m. pectoralis, he writes that it “Differs from the nominate race
to which it is nearest, by the broad yellow streak over the underparts, and by
the flanks which are more or less washed with yellow; here indeed, seems to
be a population in the transition from pale-bellied to yellow-bellied.” The
other Philippine races, halconensis (Mindoro highlands), vulcani (Mount
Apo, Mount Malindang, Mindanao), diuatae (Mount Hilong-hilong, Mount
Katanglad, Diuata Mts., Agusan, Mindanao) and finitima (Cuernos de
Negros, highlands of southern Negros), he places in the nominate race, Z. m.
montana. He does not recognize vulcani because “The individual variation
is so great that no nomenclatorial distinction is possible.” In our study of
the different Philippine populations of Z. montana we found Mees’ observa-
tions applicable to all these populations and we found that the individual
variations are very great even within one particular population on one
island or in a certain region of that island.

We summarize below our findings (based on an examination of one-
hundred and eighty specimens):

a. Within each of the different Philippine populations of Z. montana
from various regions of the Philippines, the upperparts range from yellowish
citrine to olive green in color. ‘The character of supposedly slightly greener
upperparts used as a character in recognizing whiteheadi does not hold true
in large series.

b. The recognized race pectoralis from central northern Negros shows
in large series birds that range from those with the underparts grayish white
with a narrow but more or less defined yellow streak over the center of the
abdomen, and with none or with a very faint wash of yellow on the flanks,
to those with a broad yellow streak over the underparts and with a clear
wash of yellow on the flanks.

c. The population from Cuernos de Negros, southern Negros, described

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 75

as finitima, shows in large series birds that range from those with a very
faint and ill-defined wash of yellow on the center of the belly, to those with
a well-defined yellow streak along the center of the abdomen, equivalent in
extent and distinctness, to that of the average condition in pectoralis, but
without the faint yellow wash on the flanks.

d. ‘The populations from Mount Apo and Mount Malindang, Mindanao,
show in large series, birds that range from those with no yellow at all on the
abdomen to those with a more or less defined but narrow yellow streak along
the center of the belly, equivalent in extent to that of the average finitima.
The Mount Malindang population tends to develop the yellow wash on the
center of the belly more frequently than the Mount Apo population.

e. Our 2 specimens of halconensis from Mindoro show a very faint, ill-
defined yellow wash on one (male) and no yellow at all on the other (female),
equivalent to the condition in the lower half of the series in vulcani, espe-
cially from Mount Apo, as regards the absence or presence of yellow on the
belly.

f. The recognized race, whiteheadi, from the highlands of northern
Luzon shows in series, birds that range from those without any yellow on
the grayish white abdomen to those with a very faint wash of yellow on the
center of the belly. In this respect, the population comes closest to the
Mindoro halconensis. In addition, whiteheadi averages smaller wing meas-
urements. However, Salomonsen (1953: 280-281) obtained similar small
wing measurments for many of the birds from Mount Hilong-hilong and
Mount Katanglad, Mindanao, which he describes as diuatae.

g. ‘The grayish white on the belly and flanks of the different populations
varies a great deal in intensity even within a single population, except for
pectoralis which has the tendency to develop a definite yellow wash on the
belly and flanks.

h. The amount of yellow on the forehead is another very variable char-
acter among the different Philippine populations, even within a single
population.

i. The differences in size of the bill are not significant in the different
Philippine populations.

j. Comparatively, the males have a greater tendency to develop the yel-
low wash or streak on the belly than the females, within a single population.

We had no specimens of the population described as diuatae, but the
describer diagnoses the race as similar to Z. m. vulcani except for the con-
spicuous yellow wash on the upperparts, darker and brighter yellow on
throat and crissum, broader yellow superciliary streak that continues across
the forehead as a frontal band, and flanks slightly darker than in vulcani. All
the characters mentioned above are variable even within a single population,
so that the population described as diuatae must be similar to the popula-
tion described as vulcant.

‘Two clines appear to be involved here which are both manifested in the
development of the yellow on the underparts. One runs roughly north to
south, following the islands of Luzon, Mindoro and Negros. The other ex-

76 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

tends from southern Mindanao up to the northeast and west of the island,
then to southern Negros and to northern Negros where both meet in the
population of pectoralis. It is very probable that more thorough collecting
in the highlands of central and southern Luzon and Panay will yield popula-
tions of Z. montana which will complete the picture.

Mees (op. cit.: 173-174) writes: “Several other populations seem in the
process of transition to a yellow belly, notably so pectoralis from Negros and
‘oriochares’ {rom Celebes, which is a very variable population as regards the
amount of yellow on the under surface.’’ This same observation on ortochares
is very aptly applicable to the condition of the yellow on the underparts of
pectoralis which is also very variable.

Mees (op. cit.: 189), in summing up his reasons for placing the Philippine
races: halconensis, vulcani, diuatae and finittma in the nominate race
montana, writes: “Summarizing the evidence, it may be said that from two
neighboring populations, the specimens often seem sufficiently different to
be named (and they very often have been named in the past), but that if
both are compared with series from some remote locality, neither of them
can be satisfactorily separated. ‘The situation being as it is, I conclude that
the only nomenclatorially sound treatment is to unite all these populations
under one name.”

There are birds in the different series of the various Philippine popula-
tions that resemble one another very closely and the overlap between popu-
lations is very great. For example, many specimens from the lower third of
the series of pecioralts can be placed within the series of the southern Negros
population of finitima and cannot be separated from them by any character.
Many specimens of finitima can be placed in a series of vulcani and are in-
distinguishable, and so on. In each population a number of specimens may
be picked out, and when placed with a series from another island, will prove
indistinguishable, especially based on the amount of yellow on the under-
parts.

In short, the Philippine members of Z. montana range from those with
no trace at all of yellow on the belly, which has its highest frequency in the
populations in the northern Luzon and Mindoro highlands, (and to a lesser
extent in Mount Hilong-hilong, Mount Katanglad, Mount Apo, and Mount
Malindang), to those with a well-developed yellow streak along the center
of the abdomen and with a clear wash of yellow on the flanks, which repre-
sent the highest extremes for these characters found in pectoralis in the
Mount Canlaon localities of northern Negros.

We agree with Mees on the great variability of the different Philippine
populations and so, to be consistent with his basis for placing the various
Philippine populations in the nominate race montana, we are inclined to
place all these very variable Philippine forms under the single name
montana. We realize that the population of northern Negros “pectoralis”
comes closest to attaining the status of a race, distinct enough from the others,
if only the individuals which develop the very well defined and broad yel-
low streak along the center of the belly and washed with yellow on the flanks

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS TT

are considered. However, there are also birds within the same series that are
indistinguishable from individuals of the southern Negros highland popula-
tion “finitima.”

The northern Luzon population, “whiteheadt,’ has a tendency to have
smaller measurements especially in the wing and bill and this may seem to
be the most valid basis for recognizing this form, because the plumage color
basis does not hold true. However, birds of the same size are also found
among the population of eastern Mindanao and southern Negros. It ap-
pears as if “whiteheadi’’ merely represents one end of the very variable
Philippine populations and “pectoralis,” the other end.

The Mountain Whiteye was rather rare in the 4000-5000 foot zone where
Z. nigrorum aureiloris was still found normally.

Zosterops nigrorum auretloris Ogilvie-Grant

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 2500-4400 feet; 1¢, 29; April 21-26.

Ilong Peak, Mt. Halcon, 3000-5000 feet; 34, 29; May 1-14.

Wing @ (4) 50-54.5 (av. 51.7), Q (4) 51.5-52.5 (av. 52.1); culmen from base $ (4) 13-14 (av.
13.5), Q (3) 12.5-13.5 (av. 13.1 mm.); weight ¢ (3) 6-7 (av. 6.6), Q (2) 6 gr.

Mindoro specimens are similar to birds from northern Luzon in being
very bright warbler green on the upper parts and deep greenish yellow on
the underparts. Mees (1957: 166-167) writes about this race as “A very
bright race, easily recognized because of the peculiarities in the loral re-
gion. ...” This race differs sharply from the other races in the white eye-ring
that is not interrupted in front and in the well defined yellow supra loral
region. In the other subspecies, nigrorum, luzonica, meyleri, and richmondt,
the white eye-ring is more or less interrupted in front by a dusky or blackish
spot and the yellow supra loral region is never as well defined and as distinct
from the surrounding areas.

Z. n. nigrorum from Negros Island averages much duller in general col-
oration, and even when the brightest colored birds are selected, they still
look distinctly duller when placed side by side with the Mindoro series.

It was strange that this species was encountered only at the comparatively
higher elevations in the Mindoro highlands, between about 2500-5000 feet,
but not in the lowlands. This species and Z. montana overlapped in their
altitudinal ranges in the 4000-5000 foot zone of the Mindoro highlands.

On Canlaon Volcano on Negros Island, these two species were observed
meeting and overlapping in their altitudinal ranges at about the 3000-3500
foot zone. Below this zone down to the lowlands, Z. nigrorum normally
ranged, and above it, Z. montana was found, up to the highest peaks.

Two males and one female had enlarged gonads in April.

FAMILY PLOCEIDAE, WEAVERBIRDS

Erythrura hyperythra brunnewentris (Ogilvie-Grant)

Barawanan Peak, Mount Halcon, 4400 feet; 3¢; April 26.
Ilong Peak, Mount Halcon, 4500 feet; 2¢, 19; May 5.

78 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

Wing ¢ (5) 57.5-60 (av. 58.6), 9 58.5; culmen from base ¢ (5) 11.5-12.5 (av. 12), 9 11.5 mm.;
weight ¢ (2) 10, 10, 9 10 gr.

The Green-tailed Parrot-Finch has been recorded only from northern
Luzon and Mindoro. The species cannot be mistaken for any other including
the Green-faced Parrot-Finch, E. viridifacies, which roughly approximates it
in coloration.

Rare, and was met with only in original forest of the Midmountain and
Mossy types, from about 2000 feet up to about 5000 feet altitude. On the
three occasions that we had the opportunity to meet this species, the birds
were observed always in groups of from five to nine and were found in low
trees with heavy foliage. In Abra Province, northern Luzon, the species was
often seen in clumps of light bamboo in more or less cleared countryside,
but close to primary forest patches. We never found the species in the dense
jungles of climbing bamboo which abounded in the elevation where they
were collected in Ilong Peak.

Lonchura leucogaster everetti (Tweeddale)

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 19; April 10.
Wing 9 50.5; culmen from base 9 12.5; weight @ 7 gr.

The Mindoro specimen does not differ from birds of Samar, Cebu and
Negros, except for a very slight paleness in the brown color of the upper
parts and underparts which might be attributable to age.

Rather rare and only this single specimen was encountered. It was taken
in a small patch of tall grass adjacent to a marshy area along a small creek
with large patches of nipa palms, that formed an uncultivated part of a
rather well developed area of rice fields in the plains close to the hills.

Lonchura malacca jagort (Martens)

Lake Naujan, 25 feet; 1¢; May 24.

Makatok, Victoria, 50 feet; 1g; April 10.

Alcate, Victoria, 200 feet; 1¢; 19; April 7.

Wing ¢ (3) 51-55 (av. 53.1), 9 (52); culmen from base ¢ (3) 11.5-12.5 (av. 12), 9 11.5 mm.;
weight ¢ (2) 5, 8, 9 8 gr.

Two males and one female from Mindoro have the upper parts of the
head dark brown which is typical of L. m. jagort. One Mindoro male has
the upper parts of the head slightly darker brown, almost approaching the
dull black of one male from Negros Island, and one female from Zamboanga
Peninsula, Mindanao Island. Another male from Negros has the upper parts
of the head slightly more intense black but does not attain the intense black
on the upper parts of the head of L. m. atricapilla.

Salomonsen (1953: 265-267) in reviewing the races of L. malacca identi-
fied the birds of southern Luzon, Lubang, and ‘Ticao as L. m. jagori, char-
acterized by the dark brown upper parts of the head. He assigns to his new
race, gregalis, the area of the rest of the Philippine Islands, except northern
Luzon, where L. m. formosana (upper parts of head grayish brown) pre-
dominates.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 79

Our present specimens from Mindoro belong to typical jagori, especially
based on the dark brown color of the upper parts of the head, except for the
one male that approaches closely the color of the birds from Negros and
Mindanao.

We are inclined to believe that the dark brown, or dull black color of
the upper parts of the head, the intensity of the chestnut, and the dark
brown or blackish patches on the underparts are variable characters even
within a single population, and also vary with the age of the bird. We prefer
to place the different and very variable populations of this species in the
different parts of the Philippines under jagori with gregalis as a synonym,
pending an examination of more materials from the different islands of the
Archipelago.

Very common in the cultivated areas, open country, and grasslands in
the lowlands and rolling country.

80 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS

4 ‘Borawahan
SS 4/

Route of Yale Peabody Museum —

Silliman University Mindoro

Zoological Expedition Party in 1956
eeeeeee Whitehead's route in 1896
++++4+4 Mearns-Merrill's route in 1906
1,2,3,4,5,6 Collecting camps

Plate 1. Mount Halcon and surrounding localities showing the approximate routes of the zoologi-
cal expeditions which have explored these areas.

ANNOTATED LIST OF MINDORO BIRDS 81

<2

ee o& PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

“= NEGROS

Plate 2. Plumage patterns ,of the Philippine races of Coracina striata and their distribution in
the Philippines.

pe : per Prine iN ine les mage nage ia

ile om VU ie Uy i rh it nm: ee Ay a ipsa, me i.

4 ay
iN RRS 7 aes
| pt ' . #
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LITERATURE CITED

AMADON, D.

1956. Remarks on the starlings, Family
Sturnidae. Amer. Mus. Nov., no. 1083,
41 pp.

DEIGNAN, H.

1951. A new race of the hawk-owl, Ninox
scutulata, from the Philippines. Proc.
Biol. Soc. Wash., vol. 64, 41-42.

DeELAcourR, J. and Mayr, E.

1945. Notes on the taxonomy of the birds of

the Philippines. Zoologica, vol. 30,
105-117.
Birds of the Philippines. The Mac-
millan Co., New York, xv, 309 pp.
DICKERSON, Roy E.

1928. Distribution of life in the Philippines
Manila Bur. Print., 322 pp. 42 pl.

GILLIARD, E. T.

1949a. A study of the coleto or bald starling
(Sarcops calvus). Amer. Mus. Nov.,
no. 1429, 6 pp.

1949b. Two new orioles from the Philippines.
Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., vol. 62, 155-158.

HACHISUKA, M.

1932. The birds of the Philippine Islands.
H. F. and G. Witherby, London, vol.
3S Geel) jayoe
The birds of the Philippine Islands.
H. F. and G. Witherby, London, vol.
2, xxxi, 469 pp.

A new race of the bronze-winged dove.

Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 59, 45-47.

IrvinG, E. M. (Compiler and Editor)

1953. A geologic map (biostratigraphic-litho-

logic) of the Philippines. Phil. Bur.
Mines and the U. S. Geol. Surv., Dept.
Interior.

Mayr, E.

1942. Systematics and the origin of species:
49. Columbia Univ. Press, xiv, 334 pp.

McGrecor, R. C.

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