Blue-headed pitta

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Blue-headed pitta [1]
Hydrornis baudii 79616020 (cropped).jpg
Male
Blue-headed Pitta 0A2A4002.jpg
Female
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pittidae
Genus: Hydrornis
Species:
H. baudii
Binomial name
Hydrornis baudii
Range of Pitta baudi.gif
Synonyms
  • Pitta baudii

The blue-headed pitta (Hydrornis baudii) is a species of bird in the pitta family Pittidae. It is endemic to Borneo. [3]

Contents

Description

The blue-headed pitta is a medium-sized pitta, at 17 cm (6.7 in) in length. The plumage of the male is very brightly coloured, with a bright blue crown, black cheeks, white throat, chestnut red back, violet blue tail and belly, and black wings marked with white. The colours of the female are more subdued, with a buff coloured back and head and blue only being found on the tail. [4]

Breeding

The blue-headed pitta is believed to be a seasonal breeder, as birds in breeding condition have been found in the middle of the year (March to June) and a female that was about to lay was found in July. Young birds were also found in nests between May and October. The nest is typical of the family, a round dome of leaves with a side entrance near or on the ground. In the one nest examined two eggs were found. [5]

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to the island of Borneo, where it occurs in Brunei, Kalimantan (Indonesia), Sarawak and Sabah (Malaysia). Its natural habitat is tropical lowland evergreen forests. While it does occur in disturbed of secondary forests, it is most common in primary forest. It usually occurs below 600 m (2,000 ft), [4] it has been recorded up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft), but this record has not been verified. [5]

Status and conservation

It is considered to be threatened by habitat loss, as the forest cover of Borneo is being lost at a rapid rate. [4]

Related Research Articles

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Pittas are a family, Pittidae, of passerine birds found in Asia, Australasia and Africa. There are 44 species of pittas, all similar in general appearance and habits. The pittas are Old World suboscines, and their closest relatives among other birds are in the genera Smithornis and Calyptomena. Initially placed in a single genus, as of 2009 they have been split into three genera: Pitta, Erythropitta and Hydrornis. Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards, at 15 to 25 cm (5.9–9.8 in) in length, and stocky, with strong, longish legs and long feet. They have very short tails and stout, slightly decurved bills. Many have brightly coloured plumage.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montane racket-tail</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hose's broadbill</span> Species of bird endemic to Borneo

Hose's broadbill is a species of bird in the family Calyptomenidae. It was described by the British naturalist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1892 and is named after the British zoologist Charles Hose, who collected the holotype of the species. It is 19–21 cm (7.5–8.3 in) long, with females weighing 92 g (3.2 oz) on average and males weighing 102–115 g (3.6–4.1 oz). Males are bright green and have conspicuous black spots on the wings, black markings on the head, blue underparts, black flight feathers, and a large green tuft covering most of the bill. Females have smaller forehead tufts, lime-green underparts with sky blue instead of azure blue on the undertail coverts, and lack black markings on the head, except for a black spot in front of the eye.

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The blue-banded pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is found in all three countries that share the island: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue pitta</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garnet pitta</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-naped pitta</span> Species of bird

The blue-naped pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azure-breasted pitta</span> Species of bird

The azure-breasted pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. It is a striking and colorful bird having colors of red, azure, green, black and white, It is endemic to the islands of Mindanao, Bohol, Leyte and Samar in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noisy pitta</span> Species of bird

The noisy pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. The noisy pitta is found in eastern Australia and southern New Guinea. It eats earthworms, insects and snails. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-naped barbet</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitehead's trogon</span> Species of bird

Whitehead's trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is an uncommon resident in primary mountain forest. One of Borneo's largest trogons at 29 to 33 cm long, it is sexually dimorphic. The male is crimson on the head, nape, and underparts, with a black throat and grey chest; the rest of his upperparts are cinnamon-coloured. The female is similarly patterned, but cinnamon-brown where the male is scarlet. The species was first described for science by Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1888, who named it for British explorer and collector John Whitehead. There are no subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bornean treepie</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dulit partridge</span> Species of bird

The Dulit partridge, also known as Hose's partridge, has been considered a distinctive subspecies of the long-billed partridge, a bird in the Phasianidae, or pheasant, family. It is endemic to Borneo, where it appears to be separated altitudinally from the nominate subspecies, and is often considered now to be a full species, Rhizothera dulitensis. It is little-known, rare, and has not been recorded since 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bornean banded pitta</span> Species of bird

The Bornean banded pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. It is found only in Borneo. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Javan and Malayan banded pittas. Together, they were referenced as the banded pitta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malayan banded pitta</span> Species of bird

The Malayan banded pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. Other common names include the blue-tailed pitta, the Irene's pitta, the banded pitta and the Van den Bosch's pitta. It is found in Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Bornean and Javan banded pittas, together they were referred to as the banded pitta, but now they are considered to be separate species.

References

  1. Gill, F.; D. Donsker, eds. (2010). "NZ Wrens to Ovenbirds". IOC World Bird List (2.5). Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  2. BirdLife International (2017). "Hydrornis baudii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T22698631A110475002. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22698631A110475002.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  3. Phillipps, Quentin & Phillipps, Karen (2011). Phillipps' Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo. Oxford, UK: John Beaufoy Publishing. ISBN   978-1-906780-56-2.
  4. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2010). "Species factsheet: Pitta baudii". BirdLife Data Zone. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  5. 1 2 BirdLife International (2001). "Blue-headed Pitta". Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2010.