Nicobar Hooded Pitta
Pitta abbotti
Endemic to Great and Little Nicobar Islands, where it inhabits lush forests. A jewel of a bird, with an emerald-green body, black head, scarlet lower belly, and chestnut crown. Like other pittas, forages on the forest floor, where it can be difficult to see. Listen for its song, a series of three to four barking notes. Formerly grouped together with several other closely related species as “Hooded Pitta.”
Taxonomy
The Nicobar hooded pitta was formally described in 1902 by the American ornithologist Charles Wallace Richmond from a specimen collected by the naturalist William Louis Abbott on Great Nicobar Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. Richmond coined the binomial name Pitta abbotti where the specific epithet was chosen to honour the collector. The Nicobar hooded pitta was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the hooded pitta (Pitta sordida) (now the western hooded pitta). It is considered as a separate species based on the significant genetic and morphological differences. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Pitta abbotti
- Authority
- Richmond, 1902
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pittidae
- Genus
- Pitta
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Butorides virescens
Small, dark heron with a blue-green back, rusty-colored neck and dark cap. Usually in a crouched position, partly concealed in vegetation, waiting patiently for prey. In flight, looks like an awkward crow with broad wings, neck tucked in, and legs extending just beyond the tail. Often vocal when flushed; gives a sharp "skeiw!"
Maroon-chinned Fruit-Dove
Ptilinopus epius
A large, long-tailed gray-and-green fruit-dove confined to Sulawesi. Head and most of underside pale gray, with a salmon wash on the belly and a dark, vinous-red base to the undertail. Shows a small maroon patch on throat and a yellow bill. Juveniles duller, and greener on crown and neck. Found singly or in pairs in upper levels of forest understory within lowlands and foothills. Maroon chin, yellow bill, and largely pale underparts make it easily recognized within its limited range. Song is a series of staccato whoop notes, variable in length: “whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop.”
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Large, long-tailed sparrow. Usually shows a bold head pattern and contrasting white throat. Two morphs with different head colors: white-striped and tan-striped. Both morphs show a yellow patch in front of the eye, but it is more obvious on white-striped birds. Adults have a fairly plain gray-brown breast without bold streaks, but immatures can be quite streaky. Note the grayish bill, unlike White-crowned Sparrow. Breeds in coniferous or mixed forests, often near clearings. In migration and winter, can be found in woods, forest edge, thickets and shrubby fields. Whistled song often transcribed as "Old Sam Peabody" or "O Sweet Canada." Visits feeders.
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