Alternative names: Black-crowned Pitta; Sumatran Pitta; Black-and-scarlet Pitta
- Erythropitta venusta
Disambiguation: For the species Erythropitta ussheri, see Black-crowned Pitta
Identification
18cm
- Bright crimson belly
- Dark brown upperparts tinged with purple
- Long, brown tail
- Blackish-maroon head
- Azure-blue streak from above eye to nape
- Dark brown eye
- Black bill
Juvenile plain dark plumage. Red-tipped bill
Distribution
South East Asia: found in the Highlands of Sumatra.
A rare and localized restricted-range species.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formerly placed in genus Pitta.
Habitat
Rainforest at heights between 400 and 1,400 m. Usually found in ravines in thick cover.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes insects, beetles, worms, small snails and seeds. Forages on the ground.
Breeding
Only one nest recorded (in Maiy). The domed nest was constructed from leaves, fine roots, decayed fibres and moss. It was placed 60cm above the ground abomg orchid leaves on a trunk of a fallen tree. The clutch consists of 2-3 creamy eggs, freckled with dark spots.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Graceful Pitta. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Graceful_Pitta
