Birds from North Borneo Part 11

This species was seen only in the understory of primary forest. On November 10, I watched a male and female feeding about three feet above the ground in the undergrowth. They sat on small vines and plants and darted out after insects. I never observed this species more than 20 feet above the ground.

_=Muscicapa narcissina=_ Temminck: Black and Yellow Flycatcher.--_Specimens_, 2: Cocoa Research Station: [Female], November 27, 1962, MCT 3331. 5.5 mi. SW Tenom: [Male], December 20, 1962, MCT 3484.

The two specimens were taken in nets in the primary forest. They cannot presently be a.s.signed with certainty to subspecies.

_=Rhinomyias umbratilis=_ (Strickland): White-throated Jungle Flycatcher.--_Specimens_, 19: Cocoa Research Station: [Female], 16.7 gm., July 25, 1962, MCT 2662; [Male] testis 6 5 mm., 20.7 gm., July 25, 1962, MCT 2663; [Female], 17.9 gm., July 31, 1962, MCT 2686; [Female], September 29, 1962, MCT 2974; [Male], July 8, 1963, ADG 175.

12 mi. N Kalabakan: [Male], October 10, 1962, MCT 2993; [Female], October 13, 1962, MCT 3027; [Male], October 13, 1962, MCT 3031; [Male], October 14, 1962, MCT 3036; [Male], October 16, 1962, MCT 3053; [Male], October 16, 1962, MCT 3058; [Male], October 18, 1962, MCT 3074; [Female], October 20, 1962, MCT 3107; [Male], October 23, 1962, MCT 3132; [Male], October 25, 1962, MCT 3149; [Female], October 28, 1962, MCT 3174. Ulu Balung Cocoa Estate: [Female], July 11, 1963, ADG 195; [Female], July 12, 1963, ADG 196; [Female], July 19, 1963, ADG 212.

This abundant species at Quoin Hill and Kalabakan was chiefly an inhabitant of primary forest.

On July 31, I observed this species singing at Quoin Hill. One sang with its mouth closed and sounded much farther away than it actually was. The song has seven notes on a descending scale. Birds observed on September 27 were in heavy molt and one specimen lacked tail feathers.

_=Philentoma pyrrhoptera pyrrhoptera=_ (Temminck): Chestnut-winged Monarch Flycatcher.--_Specimens_, 10: 12 mi. N Kalabakan: [Male], October 10, 1962, MCT 2992; [Female], October 15, 1962, MCT 3048; [Male], October 20, 1962, MCT 3100; [Male], October 20, 1962, MCT 3105; [Female], November 11, 1962, MCT 3244; [Female], November 16, 1962, MCT 3291. Ulu Balung Cocoa Estate: [Male], July 9, 1963, ADG 180; [Male], July 9, 1963, ADG 181; [Male], July 24, 1963, ADG 215; [Female], July 11, 1963, ADG 192.

The species was common at Kalabakan. Garcia took a few at Quoin Hill, but I observed the species there only once.

_=Philentoma velata caesia=_ (Lesson): Maroon-breasted Monarch Flycatcher.--_Specimens_, 7: Cocoa Research Station: [Female], 25.0 gm., August 4, 1962, MCT 2725; [Male], 27.2 gm., August 20, 1962, MCT 2783; [Male], September 5, 1962, MCT 2872. 12 mi. N Kalabakan: [Female], October 22, 1962, MCT 3126; s.e.x? ([Female] by plumage), October 29, 1962, MCT 3182; [Female], November 3, 1962, MCT 3205. 5.5 mi. SW Tenom: [Male], December 26, 1962, MCT 3536.

At Quoin Hill this was a bird of the primary forest. The species was common in the moss forest above Tenom.

_=Hypothymis azurea prophata=_ Oberholser: Black-naped Blue Monarch Flycatcher.--_Specimens_, 18: Cocoa Research Station: [Female], 10.8 gm., August 10, 1962, MCT 2754; [Male], 15.2 gm., August 28, 1962, MCT 2834; [Male] testis 6 4 mm., 11.1 gm., September 6, 1962, MCT 2876; s.e.x? September 14, 1962, MCT 2922; [Male], November 1, 1962, MCT 3200; [Male], November 7, 1962, MCT 3221; [Male], November 10, 1962, MCT 3242; [Male], November 20, 1962, MCT 3373; [Female], November 28, 1962, MCT 3374; [Male] testis 5 3 mm., December 1, 1962, MCT 3412; [Female], December 2, 1962, MCT 3427. 5.5 mi. SW Tenom: [Male], December 22, 1962, MCT 3504; [Male], December 23, 1962, MCT 3509. Cocoa Research Station: [Female], April 30, 1963, ADG 95; [Female], June 19, 1963, ADG 1551. Ulu Balung Cocoa Estate: [Male], July 11, 1963, ADG 194; Oil Palm Research Station: [Male], August 10, 1963, ADG 220; [Female], August 13, 1963, ADG 232.

This seemingly ubiquitous bird occurred in primary forest and cocoa. A specimen taken on September 14, 1962, was still in heavy molt.

_=Terpsiphone paradisi borneensis=_ (Hartert): Paradise Flycatcher.--_Specimens_, 6: Cocoa Research Station: [Male] testis 9 5 mm., July 11, 1962, MCT 2616; [Male] testis 2 1 mm., 21.2 gm., August 3, 1962, MCT 2719; [Female], June 10, 1963, ADG 119. 12 mi. N Kalabakan: [Male], October 19, 1962, MCT 3090; [Female], November 10, 1962, MCT 3240. Oil Palm Research Station: [Female], August 24, 1963, ADG 258.

At Quoin Hill this species was common in primary forest. One of the males (MCT 2719) was rust-colored. It and similar rufous males may be immature (see Owen, 1963:235).

_=Pachycephala whiteheadi homeyeri=_ (Blasius): Whitehead's Thick-head.--_Specimens_, 2: Siamil Island: [Female], September 19, 1962, MCT 2931; [Male], September 19, 1962, MCT 2932.

The thick-heads were by far the most common pa.s.serine bird in the relict forest on Siamil Island, being quite tame and easily approached. They generally spent most of their time sitting on branches of forest vines and bushes in the understory and were never observed in the upper story. McGregor (1910:604) describes the species as: "Common on Tawi Tawi, less so in Sulu. A deep woods bird; tame and easily shot. Feeds on insects, and usually keeps some distance above the ground."

The two specimens recorded above provide the first record of this species from Borneo, the previously known range being confined to the Philippine Islands. My material closely resembled the subspecies found on Tawi-Tawi and here is a.s.signed to _P. w.

homeyeri_.

_=Motacilla caspica melanope=_ Pallas: Gray Wagtail.--_Specimen_, 1: Cocoa Research Station: [Female], October 4, 1962, MCT 2991.

I saw this migrant first at the research station on August 25, 1962, along a dirt road, and it was subsequently seen many times along logging roads in secondary forest.

_=Artamus leucorhynchus leucorhynchus=_ Linnaeus: White-breasted Swallow Shrike.--_Specimens_, 2: Tuaran: s.e.x?, December 6, 1963, SCFC F13; [Female], December 7, 1963, SCFC F15.

_=Lanius cristatus lucionensis=_ Linnaeus: Brown Shrike.--_Specimen_, 1: Tuaran: [Male], January 12, 1963, MCT 3593.

One bird was observed near our sulap 12 miles north of Kalabakan on October 22 and 26, 1962. The specimen was netted in a paddy field and others were seen at Tuaran.

_=Lanius tigrinus=_ Drapiez: Thick-billed Shrike.--_Specimens_, 2: Tiger Estate: [Male], November 25, 1962, MCT 3316. Cocoa Research Station: [Female], November 29, 1962, MCT 3383.

The specimen taken on November 29, was netted in a small clearing in primary forest.

_=Aplonis panayensis strigatus=_ (Horsfield): Glossy Starling.--_Specimens_, 2: Tiger Estate: [Female], October 11, 1962, MCT 3001; [Female], November 25, 1962, MCT 3322. Tuaran: [Female], March 21, 1963, ADG 35; s.e.x?, December 1, 1963, EJHB 616.

This species was in the lowlands around Semp.o.r.na, Siamil Island, Brantian Estate, and Tawau.

_=Gracula religiosa religiosa=_ Linnaeus: Talking Myna.--_Specimens_, 3: Tiger Estate: [Female], October 11, 1962, MCT 3020. Cocoa Research Station: [Male], May 28, 1963, ADG 114. Gum-Gum: [Female], September 9, 1963, ADG 277.

This was a common bird at Quoin Hill but was not seen elsewhere by me. It frequented the dead trees in the cocoa.

_=Anthreptes simplex=_ (S. Muller): Plain-colored Sunbird.--_Specimens_, 6: Cocoa Research Station: [Female] imm., 8.0 gm., August 11, 1962, MCT 2768; [Male] imm., 10.0 gm., August 11, 1962, MCT 2769; [Male], 7.0 gm., September 6, 1962, MCT 2878; [Male], September 25, 1962, MCT 2959; [Female], November 27, 1962, MCT 3332; [Male], November 27, 1962, MCT 3343.

This common bird at Quoin Hill frequented flowers of the Tree Ca.s.sava. Trees of that species were shade trees in the cocoa.

_=Anthreptes malacensis=_ ssp. (Scopoli): Brown-throated Sunbird.--_Specimens_, 2: Tenom: [Male], January 3, 1963, MCT 3573; [Male] testis 5 4 mm., January 4, 1963, MCT 3576.

One of the specimens (MCT 3576) was molting into adult male plumage; the size of its testes suggests that this bird was also coming into breeding condition, all of which seemingly lends support to Chasen's (1939:401) suspicion that the species has an eclipse plumage. Lacking specimens in breeding plumage, I was unable to determine the subspecific affinities of the population at Tenom.

This species was observed also on Siamil Island.

_=Anthreptes rhodolaema=_ Sh.e.l.ley: Rufous-throated Sunbird.--_Specimens_, 14: Cocoa Research Station: [Male] testis 3 3 mm., 12.5 gm., August 9, 1962, MCT 2742; [Male] testis 5 3 mm., 15.0 gm., August 9, 1962, MCT 2743; [Female], 13.5 gm., August 9, 1962, MCT 2744; [Female] imm., 12.7 gm., August 9, 1962, MCT 2745; [Male] testis 3 2 mm., 13.5 gm., August 10, 1962, MCT 2749; [Male], 13.0 gm., August 10, 1962, MCT 2750; [Female], 12.0 gm., August 10, 1962, MCT 2751; [Female] imm., 10.8 gm., August 13, 1962, MCT 2775; [Male], September 4, 1962, MCT 2869; [Female] largest ova 3 mm., oviduct enlarged, 12.0 gm., September 12, 1962, MCT 2905; [Female], November 27, 1962, MCT 3350; [Male], November 27, 1962, MCT 3351; [Male], November 27, 1962, MCT 3355.

The Rufous-throated Sunbirds were the most common sunbirds at the Cocoa Research Station. They seemed to prefer foraging about flowers of the Tree Ca.s.sava. The stomachs of those examined contained insects. The absence of _A. malacensis_ suggests that these two species are mutually exclusive.

_=Anthreptes singalensis borneana=_ (Kloss): Ruby-cheeked Sunbird.--_Specimens_, 3: Cocoa Research Station: [Male], 8.0 gm., August 23, 1962, MCT 2801; [Male], November 29, 1962, MCT 3385; [Female], 8.4 gm., August 10, 1962, MCT 2752.

This species seemed to prefer secondary forest or cocoa as a habitat and was an uncommon bird at Quoin Hill.

_=Nectarinia sperata=_ (Linnaeus): Van Ha.s.selt's Sunbird.--Fred Dunn saw a male in secondary forest near the Cocoa Research Station.

_=Nectarinia jugularis=_ (Linnaeus): Yellow-breasted Sunbird.--This sunbird was abundant in the coconut palms at Siamil Island. The species was observed also at exotic flowering plants in Tawau.

_=Nectarinia hypogrammica hypogrammica=_ S. Muller: Purple-naped Sunbird.--_Specimens_, 10: Cocoa Research Station: [Female], November 27, 1962, MCT 3334: [Male], July 7, 1963, ADG 167. 12 mi. N Kalabakan: [Male] testis 3 5 mm., October 14, 1962, MCT 3035; [Male], October 15, 1962, MCT 3047; [Male], October 23, 1962, MCT 3133; [Male], October 24, 1962, MCT 3145; [Male], November 2, 1962, MCT 3203; [Female], November 15, 1962, MCT 3287. Oil Palm Research Station: [Female], August 16, 1963, ADG 247; [Male], August 27, 1963, ADG 262.

This common species of secondary forest at Quoin Hill seems to prefer spiders and various insects for food. I saw one bird removing dead leaves from a tree and picking out the spiders that had taken over the curled leaves as shelters. I also saw birds of this species hover before spiderwebs and remove the spiders.

A specimen taken on November 15, 1962, was in heavy molt.

_=Aethopyga mystacalis=_ (Temminck): Scarlet Sunbird.--_Specimen_, 1: Cocoa Research Station: [Male], 6.0 gm., September 12, 1962, MCT 2903.

This specimen was molting from a drab to an adult type male plumage. I saw this species only one other time at Quoin Hill, but on December 26 I saw two males feeding among epiphytic plants in the moss forest above Tenom. The condition of the specimen's plumage prevented its identification to subspecies (presumably _A.

m. temmincki_).

_=Aethopyga siparaja=_ (Raffles): Yellow-backed Sunbird.--_Specimens_, 3: Tawau: [Male] testis 5 5 mm., September 2, 1962, MCT 2861. Tiger Estate: [Male], October 11, 1962, MCT 2999. Oil Palm Research Station: [Female], August 13, 1963, ADG 231.

This sunbird was common around flowers at Kalabakan and Brantian Estate.

Unfortunately, I lack enough specimens to make a subspecific identification. The specimen from Tawau differs from _A. s.

siparaja_, however, only in having darker wings; it closely resembles the type and the series that Oberholser used when describing _A. s. ochrapyrrha_.

_=Arachnothera longirostris b.u.t.tikoferi=_ van Oort: Little Spiderhunter.--_Specimens_, 58: Cocoa Research Station: [Male], 16.2 gm., August 13, 1962, MCT 2777; [Male], 15.6 gm., August 22, 1962, MCT 2796; [Male] testis 6 4 mm., 16.0 gm., September 13, 1962, MCT 2913; [Female], December 1, 1962, MCT 3399; [Male] testis 4 3 mm., December 2, 1962, MCT 3431; [Male], November 27, 1962, MCT 3347; [Female], November 27, 1962, MCT 3348; [Male], November 28, 1962, MCT 3366; [Male], November 28, 1962, MCT 3367; [Female], November 28, 1962, MCT 3368; [Female], November 28, 1962, MCT 3369; [Male], November 28, 1962, MCT 3370; [Female], November 28, 1962, MCT 3371; [Male], November 28, 1962, MCT 3372; [Male], November 29, 1962, MCT 3386; [Male], December 1, 1962, MCT 3397; [Male], December 1, 1962, MCT 3398; [Female], December 2, 1962, MCT 3430; [Female]?, November 30, 1962, MCT 3443; [Female], April 26, 1962, ADG 60; [Male], April 27, 1963, ADG 70; [Male], April 27, 1962, ADG 73; [Male], April 18, 1963, ADG 78; [Male], April 28, 1963, ADG 80; [Male], April 29, 1963, ADG 86; [Male], April 29, 1963, ADG 87; [Male], April 30, 1962, ADG 93. 12 mi. N Kalabakan: [Female], October 16, 1962, MCT 3050; [Male], October 16, 1962, MCT 3051; [Male]