Blue-naped Pitta
Hydrornis nipalensis
A rotund, earthen-toned ground-dweller, usually hidden deep in the undergrowth of dense forests, often in damp areas near rivers and streams. Very shy, rarely venturing out into the open, though can sometimes be seen on the sides of trails in the early morning. Male has a bright sky-blue crown and nape, tea-green wings, and an ochre-brown belly. Females have a brownish head and are a browner-toned shade of green on the wings. Song is far-carrying and simple: a loud, piercing “pee-ya!”
Identification
It is a brightly colored bird, with a stub-tail. It is blue and green above, with a reddish-yellow coloring below. The bird's nape and hindneck are bright blue, and the tail is brown with a bit of green. The male and female birds are similar, but the female's hindcrown is reddish-brown, not blue, and it has a green hindneck.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Hydrornis nipalensis
- Authority
- (Hodgson, 1837)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pittidae
- Genus
- Hydrornis
Range and habitat
It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It can be found in bamboo jungles.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
It is a terrestrial bird. It usually ventures out into clearings only early in the morning and late in the evening. Its call is a double whistle and can be heard when it is on the ground and from a tree at dawn and dusk. The nesting season is April to August, during which both the male and female birds share the parental duties.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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A spectacular harrier patterned in black and silvery white. The male is distinctive with black head, striking yellow cere and eyes, and black shoulders, breast, and wingtips, contrasting with its silvery-white underparts and forewing. The female is gray-and-brown above and lighter below, with a small white rump. Females superficially resemble female Pallid and Montagu’s Harriers, but have a paler underwing with narrow dark barring and sparse streaking on underwing coverts. The species hunts by quartering suitable habitat on buoyant wings. It eats mostly small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
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