Eared Pitta
Hydrornis phayrei
This handsome pitta is about the color of a chocolate chip cookie. Only the warmer-colored male is “eared”, possessing the speckled silvery tufts on either side of the head. The female is darker, with extensive black speckling on the underparts. Both sexes have an elegant black mask extending from the bill base to the nape. Forages unobtrusively on the floor of lowland rainforests and dry deciduous forests. Gives a long, drawn-out whistle with the second half being deflected upwards.
Identification
It has formerly been placed into its own genus, Anthocincla, on account of its apparent primitive characteristics. It is the only species in the Pitta family with entirely cryptic colours in the adults of both sexes. As with other Hydrornis species, they exhibit sexually dimorphic plumage, and a cryptic juvenile plumage.<p>The adult male has a central black line over the crown, reaching and covering the nape. The plumage either side of this is rufescent buff, with feathers margined black besides having a black bar near their bases. The lores, sides of face and nape are black. The supercilium ends in lengthened pointed feathers, white and barred black, which protrude up to an inch beyond the occiput. The upper part plumage, wings and tail are all rufescent brown. Primaries with their greater coverts are blackish brown, except for a buff bar at the base of the primaries. The chin and middle of throat are white. Sides of throat, flanks and abdomen are however ferruginous brown; the sides of throat and flanks also spotted black. The undertail-coverts pale vermilion. The bill is black, but the mandible reddish brown at the gape. The iris is deep brown; the feet and claws flesh-coloured.<p>The female has her breast and sides more densely spotted with black; the ear-coverts, head and occiput plumage of the same colour as the mantle and back, but the ear-coverts are pencilled with black. The lengthened superciliary feathers are shorter than that of the male, and less pure white; the under tail-coverts paler. In other respects the female plumage resembles that of the male.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Hydrornis phayrei
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1862)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pittidae
- Genus
- Hydrornis
Range and habitat
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Crested Jayshrike
Platylophus galericulatus
This dark, medium-sized bird would be fairly unremarkable were it not for the exceptionally long crest sticking vertically out of its head. Sumatran and Bornean birds are brown, while birds on Java and the Malay Peninsula are black. Blocky white crescent behind the eye flashes as the bird moves through dense foliage in lowland and foothill broadleaf forests. Raucous; most commonly gives noisy rattles, also whistles and chips.
Large-tailed Antshrike
Mackenziaena leachii
Medium-sized antshrike with a rather small head, a short robust bill, and a long tail. Males are black with white spots and an entirely black tail while females are black with cinnamon spots and barring throughout. Mostly seen in pairs in the dense understory of humid forests closer to bamboo, can be active but hard to see. The song is a loud and clear series of ascending and descending notes.
Pale-billed Sicklebill
Drepanornis bruijnii
A large, long-billed bird of lowland forest. Brown upperparts with black head and grayish facial skin behind the eye. Note the curved, pale bill. Male has a black throat, sides and two small, hornlike tufts on the head. Female has pale underparts with dark barring. Similar to female Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise and Magnificent Riflebird, but female Pale-billed Sicklebill has a longer, thinner, more curved bill. One of several vocalizations, a descending series of low whistles, reminiscent of Common Potoo.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.