- Erythropitta meeki
Identification
16 - 18cm.
- Pale brown head with reddish-brown from crown to nape
- Dark green mantle and back
- Blue rump and tail
- Deep blue upperwing-coverts, black flight-feathers, variable small white spots on primaries
- Greyish-black throat
- Broad glossy blue band across breast with broad black band below finely tipped red
- Scarlet rest of underparts
- Black bill
Females are duller and more green and less blue on breast. Juveniles are dull brown above and have a dull blue rump and tail. They are paler below, have a whitish throat and a dark brown breast with white spots.
Similar species
Generally paler than Sulawesi Pitta, with less blue on crown and only little or no black on breast.
Distribution
Endemic to Rossel Island in the Louisiade Archipelago (Papua New Guinea).
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
It was formerly included in Red-bellied Pitta.
Habitat
Lowland evergreen forest. Also in secondary habitats.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects and their larvae, earthworms and some plant material.
Forages mainly on the ground.
Breeding
The domed nest is made of twigs and leaves, grass and ferns. It's mostly placed on the ground or low in scrub or a tree. Some nests were placed 10m above the ground. Lays 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). 2016. IOC World Bird Names (version 6.3). 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) Louisiade Pitta. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 8 November 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Louisiade_Pitta
