Azure-breasted Pitta - BirdForum Opus

Photo by James Eaton
PICOP, Mindanao, Philippines

Alternative name: Steere's Pitta

Pitta steerii

Identification

19cm

• Bright azure blue breast and sides
• Centre of the belly is black
• Scarlet lower belly
• Black head and tail
• White throat
• Metallic greenish-blue body
• Black bill
• Light brown to flesh-coloured legs

Sexes alike. Juveniles are duller than adults, have a mottled throat, less blue in wing, an olive-green upper breast and are buffish below.

Distribution

Endemic to the Philippines where found on Bohol, Leyte, Samar and Mindanao.
A rare restricted-range species. No reports from Leyte and Samar since the 1960s.

Photo by Peter Bono
This beautiful large pitta was captured on video along Road 1-4, PICOP, Bislig, Mindanao, Philippines, in March 2001

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

There are two subspecies:

• P. s. coelestis: has slightly paler, less green plumage than the nominate

• Philippines (Samar, Leyte and Bohol)

• P. s. steerii:

• Southern Philippines (Mindanao)

Habitat

Limestone forest with thick undergrowth. Found up to 1000m, at 350 - 750m on Bohol.

Behaviour

Feeds on insects and worms.
Forages on the ground, on fallen logs and boulders.
Nest and eggs undescribed, only few informations about breeding. Calls mostly from April to June.
A resident species.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and D Christie, eds. 2003. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 8: Broadbills to Tapaculos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334504

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Azure-breasted Pitta. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 24 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Azure-breasted_Pitta

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