Birds from North Borneo Part 3

_=Charadrius leschenaulti=_ Lesson: Large Sand Plover.--On September 16 one was sitting on the Tawau Airport runway.

_=Numenius phaeopus variegatus=_ (Scopoli): Whimbrel.--_Specimen_, 1: Karindingen Island: [Male], November 24, 1962, MCT 3315.

This was the most common curlew around Karindingen Island on November 24. Flocks of 10 to 20 individuals were feeding on the coral sand around the island, and a few individuals were sitting in the tops of dead mangroves at low tide.

_=Numenius arquata=_ (Linnaeus): Common Curlew.--On November 24, a Common Curlew flew from Karindingen Island toward the mainland.

_=Numenius madagascariensis=_ (Linnaeus): Eastern Curlew.--I first observed this curlew on August 17 at Karindingen Island, where 50 were feeding on the coral sand. At that time it was the most abundant sh.o.r.ebird. When I returned to the island on November 24, several were seen around the island, but the species was not so abundant as _N.

phaeopus_.

_=Limosa lapponica=_ (Linnaeus): Bar-tailed G.o.dwit.--A flock of five was observed at Karindingen Island on November 24.

_=Tringa tota.n.u.s eurhinus=_ (Oberholser): Redshank.--_Specimens_, 2: Karindingen Island: [Female], November 24, 1962, MCT 3312; [Female], November 24, 1962, MCT 3313.

On August 17, this bird was common and feeding on the coral sand at Karindingen Island. When I revisited the island on November 24 the Redshank seemed to prefer the mangrove areas for feeding and was the most common wader.

_=Tringa ochropus=_ Linnaeus: Green Sandpiper.--_Specimen_, 1: Brantian Estate: [Female], November 19, 1962, MCT 3305.

The specimen, one of three or four birds seen, was taken near a gra.s.sland pond.

_=Heteroscelus incanum=_ (Gmelin): Wandering Tattler.--One was feeding along a sandy beach and later on rocks on Siamil Island on September 18, 1962.

_=Capella megala=_ (Swinhoe): Swinhoe's Snipe.--_Specimens_, 3: Tiger Estate: s.e.x?, December 9, 1962; s.e.x?, December 9, 1962. Pintasan Agriculture Station: [Male], October 17, 1963, ADG 317.

These three specimens lend support to the theory of Smythies (1960:206) that this species is the common snipe of North Borneo.

_=Calidris canutus=_ (Linnaeus): Knot.--On August 17, I saw 20 Knots feeding on the coral sand at Karindingen Island. They were still partly in breeding feather, showing rusty color here and there on the breast. I saw no Knots on November 24 at Karindingen Island. There is but one prior record for Borneo, from the North Natuna Islands (Chasen, 1935:39).

_=Erolia ruficollis=_ (Pallas): Red-necked Stint.--_Specimen_, 1: Karindingen Island: [Male], November 24, 1962, MCT 3314.

The species was common on November 24 around Karindingen Island, usually in flocks of 5 to 10 birds.

_=Glareola pratincola=_ (Linnaeus): Collared Pratincole.--_Specimen_, 1: Tiger Estate: [Male], April 28, 1963, ADG 75.

_=Chlidonias hybrida=_ (Pallas): Whiskered Tern.--_Specimen_, 1: Kuala Sumaw.a.n.g: s.e.x?, September 18, 1962, ADG 280.

Smythies (1960:217) lists no record for North Borneo.

_=Sterna bergii=_ Lichtenstein: Greater Crested Tern.--_Specimens_, 2: Kuala Sumaw.a.n.g: [Female], September 18, 1963, ADG 278; [Male], September 18, 1963, ADG 279.

This tern was observed several times off the coast of North Borneo near Tawau.

_=Treron curvirostra curvirostra=_ (Gmelin): Thick-billed Pigeon.--_Specimens_, 9: Cocoa Research Station: [Male] testis 9 5 mm., 166.7 gm., August 1, 1962, MCT 2693; [Male] testis 5 4 mm., 167.2 gm., August 1, 1962, MCT 2694; [Male] testis 13 6 mm., 167.8 gm., August 1, 1962, MCT 2695; [Male] testis 9 5 mm., 155.5 gm., August 1, 1962, MCT 2700; [Female], 112.9 gm., August 2, 1962, MCT 2712; [Male], 185.8 gm., August 2, 1962, MCT 2713; [Female], 135.4 gm., growing new 5th primary, August 25, 1962, MCT 2806; [Female], 132.2 gm., August 31, 1962, MCT 2842; [Male], 112.5 gm., August 31, 1962, MCT 2843.

This pigeon was the most common bird eating wild figs (_Ficus_) in the communal feeding trees, where there were as many as 30 gathered in one tree to feed. While resting, individual birds commonly dipped their tails.

_=Treron olax olax=_ (Temminck): Little Green Pigeon.--_Specimens_, 2: Cocoa Research Station: [Male] testis 11 5 mm., September 1, 1962, MCT 2844. Pintasan Agriculture Station: [Male], October 14, 1963, ADG 306.

The species was seen only once. At the Cocoa Research Station, one bird sat on a dead tree and fed on a red berry from a vine. The call resembled the crying of a child. Others called in the cocoa.

The bird taken had testes of a size indicating possible breeding condition.

_=Treron vernans purpurea=_ (Gmelin): Pink-necked Green Pigeon.--_Specimens_, 10: Tiger Estate: [Male], November 25, 1962, MCT 3323; [Female], November 25, 1962, MCT 3325. Telipok: [Female], January 31, 1963, TM 22; [Female], January 31, 1963, TM 20; [Male], January 31, 1963, TM 19; [Female], January 31, 1963, TM 21; [Male], February 10, 1963, TM 35; [Male], February 2, 1963, TM 25. Mt. Rumas: [Female], March 6, 1963, ADG 11. Tuaran: [Female], November 29, 1963, SCFC 34.

The species was confined to the lowlands around Tawau, as at the Tawau Airport in the scrub growth. Flocks of 50 to 100 were observed at Tuaran. None of the specimens taken in November was in breeding condition.

_=Ducula bicolor=_ (Scopoli): Pied Imperial Pigeon.--I observed this pigeon on September 18 and 19 at Siamil Island. On the first day two were seen in the few remaining trees on the island and on September 19 a flock of 12 flew southwest over the island at about 8:30 A. M.

_=Streptopelia bitorquata=_ (Temminck): Javanese Turtle Dove.--On Siamil Island on September 18 and 19, two were seen at close range feeding with 10 _S. chinensis_. There is only one other record from Borneo; Pryer took one at Sandakan in the 1880's (Everett, 1889:193) and it has not been recorded since. Chasen (1935:22) speculated that the Javanese Turtle Dove was introduced to Borneo as a cage bird. But, Borneo is seemingly well within the normal range of the species and probably it is a resident of North Borneo. The Javanese Turtle Dove and the Spotted-necked Dove, _S. chinensis_, closely resemble each other; this resemblance may help to account for the lack of records of _S.

bitorquata_.

_=Streptopelia chinensis=_ (Scopoli): Spotted-necked Dove.--_Specimens_, 2: Tiger Estate: [Male], June 19, 1963, ADG 149. Telipok: [Male], February 10, 1963, TM 34.

This is a common bird of the coconut groves around Tawau and on Siamil Island.

_=Chalcophaps indica=_ (Linnaeus): Emerald Dove.--_Specimen_, 1: Cocoa Research Station: [Male], June 17, 1963, ADG 146.

Birds, always solitary, of this species often were seen in the cocoa groves at the Cocoa Research Station.

_=Tanygnathus lucionensis lucionensis=_ (Linnaeus): Blue-naped Parrot.--_Specimens_, 3: Siamil Island: [Male], September 19, 1962, MCT 2928; [Female], September 19, 1962, MCT 2929; [Female], September 19, 1962, MCT 2930.

These birds were seen on September 18 and 19. I saw flocks of 10 to 20 in the remnant of forest on the north side of the island. The birds were almost entirely inhabitants of the forest and were rarely seen in the coconut groves. I estimated the entire island population to be between 30 and 100 birds. The j.a.panese residents knew nothing of the birds, although they were aware of a c.o.c.katoo (_Cacatua galerita_) that had lived at large on the island for several years. The Blue-naped Parrot has been found only on the Maratuas and on Mantanani Island. Smythies (1960:242) surmised that the Mantanani population was introduced by sailing craft from the Sulu Sea. In the light of the present discovery, I think the species is a naturally-established resident of the North Bornean islands.

_=Psittinus cyanurus cyanurus=_ (Forester): Little Malay Parrot.--_Specimens_, 2: Tiger Estate: [Female], October 11, 1962, MCT 2998; [Male], October 11, 1962, MCT 2997.

Smythies (1963:277) was the first to record this species from North Borneo. However, the Harvard Primate Expedition in 1938 took three specimens as follows: [Male], Sandakan, June 6, 1937, MCZ 197123; [Male], Morutai Besar, June 27, 1937, MCZ 197124; [Male], Kalabakan River, July 16, 1937, MCZ 197125. The Harvard collection of birds from North Borneo appears to have been overlooked, although it was mentioned in pa.s.sing by Smythies (1960:526). The specimens in my collection were taken in the same general area where H. G. Deignan took the Harvard specimens.

_=Loriculus galgulus=_ (Linnaeus): Malay Lorikeet.--_Specimen_, 1: Cocoa Research Station: [Female], May 1, 1963, ADG 103.

This lorikeet was rare at all of our collecting localities.

_=Cuculus fugax fugax=_ Horsfield: Malayan Hawk-Cuckoo.--_Specimens_, 3: Cocoa Research Station: [Male], 86.0 gm., August 28, 1963, MCT 2825; [Male], 79.0 gm., September 11, 1962, MCT 2899; [Female], September 28, 1962, MCT 2977.

This species was first observed on August 28 in primary forest and was seen regularly from then until September 28 in secondary forest, primary forest, and in cocoa shade trees.

_=Cacomantis sonnerati=_ (Latham): Banded Bay Cuckoo.--Birds that may have been of this species were observed on several occasions. E. J. H.

Berwick (pers. comm.) claimed he had heard _C. sonnerati_ at the Cocoa Research Station. I have heard many times a call sometimes ascribed to this species but I have not actually seen the bird making the sound. If the call note I heard is actually of this species it is not rare in the Quoin Hill area.

_=Cacomantis merulinus threnodes=_ Cabanis and Heine: Plaintive Cuckoo.--_Specimens_, 5: Cocoa Research Station: [Male], 25.0 gm., September 8, 1962, MCT 2891; [Female] imm., 27.0 gm., September 8, 1962, MCT 2892; [Male] testis 4 3 mm., November 29, 1962, MCT 3382. Tenom: [Male], January 1, 1963, MCT 3563. Ulu Balung: [Female], July 15, 1963, ADG 199.

This cuckoo was common in all habitats examined at all of our collecting stations, except the moss forest near Tenom.

_=Cacomantis variolosus sepulchralis=_ (S. Muller): Fantailed Cuckoo.--_Specimens_, 2: Cocoa Research Station: [Male], 30.8 gm., August 28, 1962, MCT 2824. Ulu Balung: [Male], July 10, 1963, ADG 183.

The specimens were collected in primary forest. There are only five earlier records for all of Borneo (Smythies, 1960:253-254).

Probably this species nests in Borneo; it is unlikely that specimens taken in August and July are migrants.

_=Chalcites xanthorhynchus xanthorhynchus=_ (Horsfield): Violet Cuckoo.--_Specimens_, 1: Cocoa Research Station: [Female] largest ovum 1 mm., September 26, 1962, MCT 2964.