Blue Pitta
Hydrornis cyaneus
Only the male of this rotund ground-dweller is truly blue; the female only has a hint of blue on the rump and tail. Male is brilliant and eye-catching if seen well: sky-blue on the back with a polka-dotted light blue breast and belly. Female has gray-brown wings and finely barred white underparts. Both sexes boast a pale face and a thin black eyebrow, above which flames a lava-red crown (darker in males than in females). Forages on the densely-vegetated floor of forests from the lowlands up into montane regions, often in gorges, in ravines, and near streams. Song is a liquid ‘cho’mew-wit!’, with a clipped-sounding last note.
Identification
Pittas are medium-sized, stocky passerine birds with long legs and short tails. The blue pitta grows to a length of about 23 cm (9 in). It has a yellow forehead and crown and a bright orange nape. A bold black stripe passes through the eye and there is a less well-defined, short stripe on the chin. The male has a blue back and tail and a pale bluish breast, speckled with black. The female has a grey back and a pale grey breast, speckled with black. The bill is dark grey and the legs are pale pink. The call is a long, drawn-out "pleoow-whit" or "choocoo-whip", ending suddenly.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Hydrornis cyaneus
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1843)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pittidae
- Genus
- Hydrornis
Range and habitat
There are three subspecies: H. c. cyaneus occurs in northeastern India and eastern Bangladesh, Myanmar, northern Laos, Vietnam, southern Thailand and southern China; H. c. aurantiacus occurs in eastern Thailand and southwestern Cambodia; H. c. willoughbyi occurs in central Laos and southern Vietnam. The bird's altitudinal range is from sea level up to about 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It is a forest bird, typical habitat being lowland and montane moist evergreen forest with bamboos, often near streams and in ravines, but it also occurs in drier tropical forests.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Like other members of their genus, blue pittas are shy, secretive birds and usually occur singly, even juveniles foraging alone except when being visited by their parents; they will however respond to recordings of their call. They are diurnal, which enables them to see their often cryptic prey, but they often forage in darker areas of the forest. They search through plant litter on the forest floor for insects (especially beetles) and their larvae, spiders, snails, worms and grubs, flicking away leaves and probing the ground with their beaks. Breeding takes place in May and June in India and Myanmar, and between June and October in Thailand. The nest is a large, bulky dome-shaped structure with a side entrance, hidden amongst tangled plant growth.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Helmeted Woodpecker
Celeus galeatus
Fairly large woodpecker. A usually rare inhabitant of extensive humid forests. Note cinnamon face, red head with a prominent crest, and white stripes on the side of the neck. Solid black back and wings, and heavily barred below with a pale rump. Males have a red moustache. A mimic of the much larger Robust Woodpecker.
Black-headed Cuckooshrike
Lalage melanoptera
Male has dark slaty-gray head, neck, and upper breast; rest of the body is pale gray, with white on the belly. Wings darker than mantle. Female lacks the black hood, and has a whitish supercilium, brownish-gray upperparts with lightly barred back and rump, and buff-white underparts with wide brown bars. Juvenile is similar to female, but upperparts barred white. Immature similar to female. Song is a series of clear, loud whistles: “pee-pe-pe-pe-pe-twe-twee.” Some notes can be omitted, or additional notes added.
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Medium-sized tern found on open ocean, beaches, and large lakes. Adults have pale gray body and black cap. Bill color differs by subspecies: most have red bill with black tip, but some Asian birds have all-black bills. First-years show dark outer primaries, dark shoulder, and black restricted to back of neck. Similar to Forster's, Arctic, and Roseate Terns. Separated from breeding Forster's Tern by entirely gray upperwings; nonbreeding Forster's shows black ear patch. Somewhat longer-billed and shorter-tailed than Arctic Tern, with paler body. Shorter-tailed and overall darker than gleaming white Roseate Tern. Often found in large flocks, especially in late summer. Gives a harsh screeching call "KEEE-yurrrr."
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