- Hydrornis irena
Identification
20 - 23cm (7¾-9 in). An unmistakable pitta with some geographical variation.
- Top and side of head black with prominent, broad bright yellow supercilium
- Plain chestnut-brown upperparts
- Blackish-brown wings with white spots creating a broad wingbar
- Deep blue rump and tail
- White chin and throat, becoming yellow on lower throat
- Narrow dark blue band on upper breast
- Blue underparts with some orange barring
- Black bill
Females are duller and and lack any blue on underparts.
Juveniles are speckled brown and their bill has an orange base and an orange tip.
Distribution
Found from southern Thailand to peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra.
Fairly common where suitable habitat remains. Population declining due to habitat loss and cagebird trading.
Taxonomy
It was formerly included in Banded Pitta together with Bornean Banded Pitta and Javan Banded Pitta.
Formerly placed in genus Pitta.
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies:
- H. i. ripleyi:
- Southern Peninsula Thailand
- H. i. irena:
Habitat
Moist lowland forests and montanes. Rarely in older secondary forest. Occurs from lowlands up to 1500m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects, snails and earthworms. Takes also berries.
Forages on the ground.
Breeding
Breeding season differs through range. The globular nest has a side entrance and is build with broad leaves, sleletonized bamboo leaves, small sticks and grass. It's placed low in a bush, a sapling or a rattan palm. Lays 2 - 5 eggs, mostly 3 or 4.
Movement
A resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Dickinson, EC, ed. 2003. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. 3rd ed., with updates to October 2008 (Corrigenda 8). Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691117010
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2010. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.7). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Birdforum thread discussing taxonomy of this species
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Malayan Banded Pitta. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Malayan_Banded_Pitta
