Malayan Banded-Pitta

A large seedeater with a big, bulging bill. Dark brown above and white below with heavily streaked underparts. Also note the white marks around the eye. Rare and local in montane habitats including forest, forest edge, and lush scrub. Somewhat similar to Yellow-browed Seedeater, but larger and heavier-billed, without any yellow in the plumage. The song is a fast-paced mix of whistled and rattling notes.

Male striking, with bright golden underparts and neck, olive wings, and a deep black head, chest, and tail. Female mostly olive-yellow with a grayish cap and a pale throat. Found in primary and sometimes secondary forest, but generally avoids villages and gardens. Song consists of a complex mix of whistles ending in a loud, far-carrying whipcrack.

A typical pitta: plump, short-tailed, long-legged, and primarily terrestrial (sometimes perches up to call). Bright green above with electric blue shoulder patch and rump and black head with conspicuous pale brow. Underside golden-buff with black and bright red on the belly. Plumage varies geographically, with forms varying in eyebrow, throat color (white or black), and extent of red and black on belly. Juvenile duller, with little blue in wing, an orange-tipped bill, and a pinkish belly. Inhabits woodland, forest, scrub, and plantations in lowlands and hills; some populations migratory. Sometimes arboreal when calling. Voice varies throughout range; generally a variation on “wit-wit-deer” or “werwer-dew!”