AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

1100. Harpactes fasciatus

1100. Harpactes fasciatus.

The Malabar Trogon.

Trogon fasciatus, Pennant, Ind. Zool. pl. iv (1769). Trogon duvaucelii, Tickell, J. A. S. B. ii, p. 580 (nec Temm.). Trogon malabaricus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1834, p. 26. Harpactes malabaricus, Swains. Class. Birds, ii, p. 337 ; Jerdon, Madr. Jour. L. S. xi, p. 232. Harpactes fasciatus, Blyth, Cat. p. 80; Layard, A. M. N. H. (2) xii, p. 171; Horsf. & M. Cat. ii, p. 714; Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 201; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 422; Hume, S. F. i, p. 432; vii, p. 507; id. Cat. no. 116; Ball, S. F. iv, p. 231 ; v, p. 413; vii, p. 203; Fairbank, S. F. iv, p. 254; v, p. 393; Bourdillon, S. F. iv, p. 382; vii, p. 172; Thompson, S. F. iv, p. 498; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 269; Butler, S. F. ix, p. 381; Davison, S. F. x, p. 349; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 93 ; Oates in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 340; Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. M. xvii, p. 485.

Kufni churi, H.; Kama, Mahr.; Kakarne hakki, Can.; Nawa nila kurulla, Ranwan kondea, Ginni kurulla, Cing.

Coloration. Male. Head and neck all round with upper breast dull black or blackish grey; back, scapulars, and coverts along forearm yellowish brown, slightly paler on the rump and upper tail-coverts; wings black, the coverts away from the forearm, except the greater primary-coverts, tertiaries, and outer webs of secondaries, finely and closely barred with slightly undulating white lines; the quills white at the base, and the outer webs of all primaries, except the first and a few of the last, with a white border; middle tail-feathers chestnut with a black tip, the remainder black, generally some chestnut on second and third pairs from middle, three exterior pairs with long white tips; a white band between the black upper breast and the rest of the lower parts, which are pale crimson, the lower tail-coverts paler still.

Female. Head, neck, and upper breast olive-brown, no white gorget; rest of lower parts brownish buff ; bars on wing-coverts, tertiaries, and secondaries light brown, instead of white; tail-feathers as in immature males.

Young males have the lower parts mixed with buff and white, the bars on the wings are fulvous, and the head and neck brownish. The 2nd and 3rd pairs of tail-feathers from the middle have more chestnut than in adults, this colour extending along the shafts and both borders.

Bill deep blue; orbital skin smalt-blue; irides dark brown; feet light lavender-blue (Jerdon).

Length 12; tail 6.75; wing 5; tarsus .6; bill from gape 1: females rather less. Ceylonese birds are smaller than Indian.

Distribution. Local and rare throughout the forest country east of about 80° long., extending from Hazaribagh and Midnapur to south of the Godavari ; more common in the forests near the Malabar coast, from Western Khandesh (whence both Lord Tweed-dale and Mr. Hume obtained specimens) to Cape Comorin. This species does not occur in any part of the peninsula beyond the tracts mentioned, but is found generally distributed in Ceylon.

Habits, &c. Those of the genus. The eggs have been taken in March, April, and May, and are usually three in number, ivory white, and about 1.08 by .95 in dimensions.

BookTitle: 
The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma
Reference: 
Blanford, William Thomas, ed. The Fauna of British India: Including Ceylon and Burma. Vol.3 1895.
Title in Book: 
1100. Harpactes fasciatus
Book Author: 
William Thomas Blanford
CatNo: 
1100
Year: 
1895
Page No: 
199
Common name: 
Malabar Trogon
M_ID: 
8898
M_CN: 
Malabar Trogon
M_SN: 
Harpactes fasciatus
Volume: 
Vol. 3
id: 
1536

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