Alternative name: Black-breasted Pitta
- Hydrornis gurneyi
Identification
21cm (8¼ in).
- Black head with glossy ultramarine-blue central crown to nape
- Plain warm brown upperparts
- Shining blue tail and longest uppertail-coverts
- White chin and variable amount of white on centre of throat
- Orange-yellow upper breast and flanks, flanks barred black
- Black rest of underparts
- Black bill
- Dull flesh feet
The female has a yellow-buff crown and nape, variably barred black and buffish to rufous-buffish underparts, central belly unbarred.
Juvenile is dull dark brown, crown and nape with golden-ochre stripes, streaked buffish breast, bill with orange tip.
Distribution
Only found in Krabi Province (Khao Nor Chuchi) in peninsular Thailand and in extreme southern Burma.
Thought to be extinct but rediscovered in 1986. Critically endangered, extremely rare and local.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formerly placed in genus Pitta.
Habitat
Lowland semi-evergreen and secondary riverine rainforest with dense understorey. Often in the vicinity of small streams or gulleys. Occurs from lowland up to 160m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on worms, insects and their larvae, spiders, slugs, snails and small frogs.
Breeding
Breeding season from late April to October. The domed nest is placed low in a tree or rattan. Lays 3 to 4 eggs.
Movements
A resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://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/.
- 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. (2024) Gurney's Pitta. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Gurney%27s_Pitta
