Blue-headed Pitta
Encyclopedia
The Blue-headed Pitta, Pitta baudii, is a species of bird
in the pitta
family Pittidae. The species is endemic to the island of Borneo
, where it occurs in Brunei
, Kalimantan
(Indonesia
), Sarawak
and Sabah
(Malaysia). Its natural habitat
is tropical lowland evergreen forest
s. While it does occur in disturbed of secondary forests, it is most common in primary forest. It usually occurs below 600 m (1,968.5 ft), it has been recorded up to 1200 m (3,937 ft), but this record has not been verified.
The Blue-headed Pitta is a medium-sized pitta, at 17 cm (6.7 in) in length. The plumage
of the male is very brightly coloured, with a bright blue crown, black cheeks, white throat, chestnut red back, violet blue tail and belly, and black wings marked with white. The colours of the female are more subdued, with a buff coloured back and head and bue only being found on the tail.
The Blue-winged Pitta is believed to be a seasonal breeder, as birds in breeding condition have been found in the middle of the year (March to June) and a female that was about to lay was found in July. Young birds were also found in nests between May and October. The nest
is typical of the family, a round dome of leaves with a side entrance near or on the ground. In the one nest examined two eggs were found.
It is considered to be threatened by habitat loss, as the forest cover of Borneo is being lost at a rapid rate
.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the pitta
Pitta
Pitta may stand for:*Pittas, a family of tropical birds*Pitta bread *Pitta , an island in the Dodecanese archipelago, in the Aegean Sea...
family Pittidae. The species is endemic to the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, where it occurs in Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
(Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
), Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
and Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
(Malaysia). Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is tropical lowland evergreen forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s. While it does occur in disturbed of secondary forests, it is most common in primary forest. It usually occurs below 600 m (1,968.5 ft), it has been recorded up to 1200 m (3,937 ft), but this record has not been verified.
The Blue-headed Pitta is a medium-sized pitta, at 17 cm (6.7 in) in length. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
of the male is very brightly coloured, with a bright blue crown, black cheeks, white throat, chestnut red back, violet blue tail and belly, and black wings marked with white. The colours of the female are more subdued, with a buff coloured back and head and bue only being found on the tail.
The Blue-winged Pitta is believed to be a seasonal breeder, as birds in breeding condition have been found in the middle of the year (March to June) and a female that was about to lay was found in July. Young birds were also found in nests between May and October. The nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
is typical of the family, a round dome of leaves with a side entrance near or on the ground. In the one nest examined two eggs were found.
It is considered to be threatened by habitat loss, as the forest cover of Borneo is being lost at a rapid rate
Deforestation in Indonesia
Deforestation in Indonesia has been a massive environmental impact on the country, home to some of the most biologically diverse forests in the world, ranking third behind Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As late as 1900, Indonesia was still a densely forested country with the total...
.