Giant Pitta
Hydrornis caeruleus
Extremely elusive and rarely-seen ground-dweller; listen instead for its haunting whistle. If seen, overall size and chunkiness alone should be sufficient to distinguish this species from other pittas. Male has bright blue wings and a grayish head with a thin black line curving downwards from behind the eye. Female is browner overall, with a blue rump and warm rufous-brown wings. Rare in lowland and foothill forests, particularly in swampy or riparian areas.
Identification
The giant pitta (Hydrornis caeruleus) is a species of bird in the family Pittidae.
Taxonomy
Genus: Hydrornis; Family: Pittidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Hydrornis caeruleus
- Authority
- (Raffles, 1822)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pittidae
- Genus
- Hydrornis
Range and habitat
The giant pitta is native to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. It inhabits primary and tall secondary forests at elevations of up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft). It appears to prefer densely vegetated, swampy areas, but has infrequently been reported from drier and secondary vegetation.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
The species is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Total population size is unknown, but it is believed to be scarce to rare, and thought to be under pressure from rapid forest loss in its native habitat.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Spotted Bowerbird
Chlamydera maculata
A brownish, mottled, strongly marked bowerbird with warm brown tones overall and a small pink crest on the nape. Loud rasping calls include hisses and squawks. Occurs in open woodlands, as well as in gardens and town parks within its range. Males decorate their avenue bowers with pale objects such as small bones and shells. Western Bowerbird is paler, and its range is further west. Spotted Bowerbird lives in inland portions of Queensland and New South Wales.
Sladen's Barbet
Gymnobucco sladeni
Dark, chunky barbet with an odd tuft of buff feathers on its forehead. Usually found in small groups on and around dead trees in lowland rainforest, gallery forest, and secondary growth. Sometimes occurs alongside Gray-throated Barbet. The vocalizations include nasal “squeaky toy” calls and agitated dry rattles. Gray-throated Barbet also has a dark bill, but Sladen’s Barbet is separated from that species by its largely unfeathered head.
Large-billed Seed-Finch
Sporophila crassirostris
As the name suggests, this seed-finch has a truly massive bill – much larger than any seedeater. Male is all black with a small white wing patch. Bill is pale whitish or silvery. Female is brown with a dark bill. Very similar to Great-billed Seed-Finch, which is slightly larger; thankfully there is limited range overlap. Occurs in lowlands, primarily in scrubby or grassy fields and marshes. Uncommon.
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