Fauna of India (Birds)  vol iii 1895 - by W. T. Blanford

Page 06
 

Genus CALYPTOMENA, Raffles, 1822

Bill smaller than in other Eurylaemidae, and the culmen higher. Nostrils at base of the beak, and concealed, as is the greater part of the upper mandible, by the feathers of the lores, which are large and directed forward. No rictal bristles. Tail short and nearly square. Tarsi distinctly scutellated in front. Plumage harsh, bright green nearly throughout. This is the most aberrant member of the group, and has been, by many writers placed in a different family or subfamily. Three species are now known, two of which are peculiar to Borneo.

Calyptomena viridis  Green Broadbill

Coloration: Male. Bright green throughout, slightly paler on the abdomen; a minute yellow spot in front of the eye; sides of forehead (greatly concealed by loral feathers), a large spot behind the ear-coverts, three bands across the wing-coverts, and the wing-feathers (except the outer webs of the secondaries and the basal portion of the outer webs in the primaries) black. Female duller and paler green throughout, especially below; no black marks; wing-feathers brown. Young birds are like the females, but duller in colour.

Fig. 7 - head of C. viridis

Upper mandible pale horny to brown or even black, the tip and the lower mandible light reddish horny or brownish orange; gape orange; iris dark brown; legs pale dirty or horny green, sometimes tinged with bluish, sometimes with purplish grey.

Size: Males - length about 7.5;  tail 2;  wing 4.2;  tarsus 0.8;  bill from gape 1.1. Females are rather larger, wing about 4.4.

Distribution: Tenasserim from Amherst southward, also the Malay peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo.

Habits: According to Davison this beautiful Broadbill lives entirely on fruit. It keeps to the forests and frequents the tops of the trees singly, in pairs, or in small parties. It is only active in the mornings and evenings. The note is a soft whistle. Several nests have been taken in Tenasserim by Mr. J. Darling, and are egg-shaped, measuring about 9 inches by 4, pinched flat at the top, along the twig from which each is suspended, and ending in a tail, sometimes 3 feet long. The nest is large, composed chiefly of fine grass, sometimes mixed with roots etc., and contains about 3 very pale yellow or creamy eggs, unspotted, with little or no gloss, and measuring about 1.15 by 0.8.