Alternative name: Two-striped Pitta (vigorsii)
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- Pitta elegans
Identification
19cm
- Black head and hindneck with buff lateral crownstripe
- Dark green upperparts
- Turquoise-blue rump
- Black tail with green tip
- Large turquoise-blue patch on lesser coverts, black flight-feathers, secondaries bluish and green edged, primaries with white patch
- Black chin and upper throat
- Warm cinnamon-buff underparts
- Black and scarlet patch on central belly, paler red vent
- Black bill
Sexes similar. Juveniles are duller, have less blue feathers in wing, a pinkish lower belly and an orange tip of bill.
Distribution
Found on the Lesser Sundas from Nusa Penida east to Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Sumba, on small islands south of Sulawesi and in the central Moluccas, Sula Islands, Banggai Islands and Timor.
Locally common.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 5 subspecies[1]:
- P. e. concinna on the Lesser Sundas (Nusa Penida, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Adonara, Lomblen and Alor)
- With a reddish-buff lateral crownstripe becoming white and then pale blue behind eye and more black on belly
- P. e. maria on Sumba
- Less white in wing, more red and only little black on belly, paler lateral crownstripe than concinna
- P. e. virginalis on the islands of Tanahjampea, Kalao and Kalaotoa (south of Sulawesi)
- Broader lateral crownstripe than nominate, throat more extensively white
- P. e. elegans on the central Lesser Sundas (Semau, Timor, Kisar, maybe Roti), recorded on Ruang, Tahulandang, Ternate, Banggai Islands, Sula Islands and central Moluccas (Buru, Boano, Seram)
- P. e. vigorsii on the southern Moluccas (Banda, Kasiui, Kur, Tiur), Kai Islands and eastern Lesser Sundas (Damar, Babar), also recorded on Seram and Tanimbar Islands.
- Paler crownstripe behind eye, chin and throat white, slightly darker underparts
Sometimes considered conspecific with Indian Pitta and Blue-winged Pitta. Probably forms a superspecies with Noisy Pitta, Black-faced Pitta and Rainbow Pitta. Vigorsii is sometimes accepted as full species. The described forms kalaonensis, plesseni and hutzi are usually not accepted.
Habitat
Found in a variety of forest types like humid primary forest, dry monsoon forest, degraded forest, scrub and cultivation. Occurs in the lowlands up to 1200m, 1400m on Flores. Migrants have been recorded at higher altitudes.
Behaviour
Movements poorly known. Resident on some islands but some seasonal inter-island movements recorded.
Diet
Feeds on insects, small beetles and snails.
Breeding
Main breeding season from April to August. One described nest was made of broadleaves, leaf skeletons, large sticks and rootlets. Lays 2-3 eggs.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- 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/.
- 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. (2021) Elegant Pitta. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Elegant_Pitta
