Green-breasted Pitta
Pitta reichenowi
A spectacular short-tailed upright bird with a distinctive bottle-green breast, a black-and-buff head, a white throat, a scarlet belly, and shiny blue-spotted wings and rump. A scarce resident of dense lowland forest, usually skulking in pairs in leaf litter on the forest floor. Breeding birds call and display in the canopy. Most often found when giving a di-syllabic “brrr-rrrt” wing drum display as the male hops up, lasting less than a second; also gives a bell-like whistled “huuu” call. African Pitta is similar to Green-breasted but has a warm buffy breast.
Identification
The plumage is very similar to that of the African pitta, but the breast is green and the throat is bordered by a black line. Immatures have duller, darker plumage, and a brownish olive breast.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pitta reichenowi
- Authority
- Madarász, G, 1901
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pittidae
- Genus
- Pitta
Range and habitat
It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Gabon, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. In Uganda however, it occurs at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,400 metres (3,300 and 4,600 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Collared Petrel
Pterodroma brevipes
A small gray-and-white petrel with a dark hood, a bold dark “M” pattern across the upperwings, and a distinctive bold black underwing pattern. Very variable. A pale morph resembles Gould’s Petrel, while a distinctive sooty-brown dark morph shows exceptionally bold underwing markings. Pale morph separated from Gould’s Petrel by its much bolder underwing pattern and its hood, which often meets below the neck, creating a full collar. Silent at sea.
Pink-legged Graveteiro
Acrobatornis fonsecai
Predominantly gray species with a long tail and pink legs. Note the darker gray crown and paler eyebrow. Found principally in shaded cacao plantations or adjacent remnant forests across a very restricted range. Forages acrobatically in the canopy and subcanopy and often accompanies mixed-species flocks. Builds a large stick nest.
Short-tailed Shearwater
Ardenna tenuirostris
Medium-sized, dark brown shearwater. Has narrow, crooked wings and flies with quick, snappy wingbeats. Variable underwing pattern, usually rather dark with a less distinct silvery flash than Sooty Shearwater, but difficult to judge depending on lighting. Common in the Pacific Ocean, especially around Australia and New Zealand and up to the Bering Sea. Unknown from South America. Can be abundant in ocean waters off Alaska, gathering in enormous flocks; less common further south. Extremely similar to Sooty Shearwater. Short-tailed is lighter and has more crooked wings; also look for slightly shorter bill and more rounded head.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.