- Hydrornis baudii
Identification
17 cm (6¾ in)
Male
- Blue crown
- Black cheeks
- Reddish-brown mantle
- Black wings marked with white
- Blue tail
- White throat
- Deep violet-blue underparts
Female
- Buff crown and upperparts
- Buffy cheeks to vent
Juveniles are similar to females but duller, have a dark brown breast and brown and golden marbled underparts.
Distribution
Endemic to Borneo.
A locally common species but with a patchy distribution. Threatened by rapid deforestation.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formlery placed in genus Pitta and sometimes in its own genus Iridipitta.
Habitat
Dense cover in moist lowland forests to 600m. Often close to rivers.
Behaviour
A shy and secretive species.
Diet
Feeds on earthworms, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, caterpillars and other arthropods.
Feeds among leaf litter by turning over leaves.
Breeding
The few breeding records suggest a breeding season from March to October. A recorded nest was domed, made of dead leaves and herbs and placed 0.5m above the ground. The clutch consisted of 2 eggs.
Movements
Probably a sedentary 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/.
- 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
- BirdLife International
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Blue-headed Pitta. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blue-headed_Pitta
