Pitta
Pitta | |
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Hooded pitta in southern Thailand
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Suborder: | Tyranni |
Infraorder: | Eurylaimides |
Superfamily: | Pittoidea |
Family: | Pittidae Authority disputed.[a] |
Genera | |
Pittas are a
Most pitta species are
Four species of pitta are listed as
Taxonomy and systematics
The first pitta to be described scientifically was the
The family's closest relatives have for a long time been assumed to be the other
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Phylogeny of the Eurylaimides, showing the relationship of the pittas (Pittidae), based on Selvatti et al, 2016 |
Two DNA studies, from 2015 and 2016, came to a different conclusion, finding that the Eurylaimides were divided into two clades and that the pittas formed a clade with the broadbills of the genera
The number of pitta genera has varied considerably since Vieillot, ranging from one to as many as nine. In his 1863 work A Monograph of the Pittidae, Daniel Elliot split the pittas into two genera, Pitta for the species with comparatively long tails and (the now abandoned) Brachyurus for the shorter-tailed species. Barely two decades later, in 1880/81, John Gould split the family into nine genera, in which he also included the lesser melampitta (in the genus Melampitta) of New Guinea, where it was kept until 1931 when Ernst Mayr demonstrated that it had the syrinx of an oscine bird.[13] Philip Sclater's Catalogue of the Birds of the British Museum (1888) brought the number back down to four – Anthocincla, Pitta, Eucichla, and Coracopitta.[14][15] Elliot's 1895 Monograph of the Pittidae included three genera split into subgenera Anthocincla, Pitta (subgenera Calopitta, Leucopitta, Gigantipitta, Hydrornis, Coloburis, Cervinipitta, Purpureipitta, Phaenicocichla, Monilipitta, Erythropitta, Cyanopitta, Galeripitta, Pulchripitta, Iridipitta), and Eucichla (subgenera Ornatipitta, Insignipitta).[16]
Phylogeny of the family Pittidae, based on Selvatti et al, 2016 |
Modern treatments of taxa within the family vary as well. A 1975 checklist included six genera, whereas the 2003 volume of the Handbook of the Birds of the World, which covered the family, placed all the pittas in a single genus.[17] Writing in 1998, Johannes Erritzoe stated that most contemporary authors considered the family to contain a single genus.[18] Before 2006 the family was not well studied using modern anatomical or phylogenetic techniques; two studies, in 1987 and 1990, each used only four species, and comparisons amongst the family as a whole had relied mostly on external features and appearances.[9]
A 2006 study of the nuclear
As with genera, there has been considerable variation in the number of accepted pitta species. The checklists of Sclater and Elliot at the end of the 19th century contained 48 and 47 species respectively. More recent checklists have had fewer than this, one from 1975 listing just 24 species. Since the 1990s, the figure has been between 30 and 32 species; the 2003 Handbook of the Birds of the World recognised 30. One species not recognised by the handbook is the
Description
The pittas are small to medium-sized passerines, ranging in size from the blue-banded pitta at 15 cm (5.9 in) to the giant pitta, which can be up to 29 cm (11 in) in length. In weight they range from 42 to 210 g (1.5–7.4 oz). Pittas are stout-bodied birds with long, strong tarsi (lower leg bones) and long feet. The colour of the legs and feet can vary dramatically even within a species. This may be a characteristic used by females in judging the quality of a prospective mate. The wings have ten primaries that are generally rounded and short; those of the four migratory species are more pointed. There are nine secondaries with the tenth being vestigial. Anatomically, pittas have large temporal fossae in the skull unlike typical perching birds.[23] The syrinx is tracheo-bronchial and lacks a pessulus or intrinsic muscles.[24] Pittas are behaviourally reluctant to fly, but are capable and even strong fliers. The tails range from being short to very short, and are composed of twelve feathers.[15][25]
Unlike most other forest-floor bird species, the plumage of pittas is often bright and colourful. Only one species, the eared pitta, has entirely cryptic colours in the adults of both sexes. In the same genus, Hydrornis, are three further species with drabber than average plumage, the blue-naped pitta, blue-rumped pitta and rusty-naped pitta. Like the other Hydrornis pittas they are sexually dimorphic in their plumage, the females tending towards being drabber and more cryptic than the males. In general the sexes in the family tend to be very similar if not identical. Across most of the family the brighter colours tend to be on the undersides, with patches or areas of bright colours on the rump, wings and uppertail coverts being concealable. Being able to conceal bright colours from above is important as most predators approach from above; four species have brighter upperparts.[15]
Distribution and habitat
The pittas are generally birds of tropical forests, semi-forests and scrub. Most species need forests with much cover, a rich understory, and leaf litter for feeding, and they are often found near waterways as well. Some species inhabit swamps and bamboo forests,
The greatest diversity of pittas is found in South-east Asia. Of the three genera, the large genus Pitta is the most widespread. The two species found in Africa, the
The movements of pittas are poorly known and notoriously difficult to study.[28] Bird ringing studies have not shed much light on this. One study in the Philippines ringed 2000 red-bellied pittas but only recaptured ten birds, and only one of these recaptures was more than two months after the initial capture. Only four species of pitta are fully or mostly migratory, all in the genus Pitta: the Indian pitta, the African pitta, the fairy pitta and the blue-winged pitta. As well as these four, the northern subspecies of the hooded pitta is a full migrant. Other species make smaller or more local, and poorly understood, movements across small parts of their range,[15] including the noisy pitta of Australia.[29] The migration of pittas is apparently nocturnal, and pittas migrate in small loose flocks that use the same resting and foraging sites each year.[30]
Behaviour and ecology
Sociality and calls
Pittas are diurnal, requiring light to find their often cryptic prey. They are nevertheless often found in darker areas and are highly secretive, though they will respond to imitations of their calls. They are generally found as single birds, even young birds not associating with their parents unless they are being fed. The only exception to their solitary lifestyle is small groups that have been observed forming during migration.[15]
The pittas are strongly territorial, with territories varying in size from 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft) in the African pitta to 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft) in the rainbow pitta. They have also been found to be highly aggressive in captivity, attacking other species and even their own; such behaviour has not been observed in the wild.[30] Pittas will perform territory-defence displays on the edges of their territories; fights between rivals have only been recorded once. One such territorial display is given by the rainbow pitta, which holds its legs straight and bows to a rival on the edge of its territory, while making a purring call. Displays like this are paired with calls made out of sight of potential rivals;[31] these territorial calls are frequent and can account for up to 12% of a bird's daylight activity.[32] Migratory species will defend non-breeding feeding territories as well as their breeding ones.[15]
The vocalisations of pittas are best described as calls, as they are generally short, mono or disyllabic, and often fluting or whirring. They are made by both sexes and throughout the year.[15] One species, the black-and-crimson pitta, was also described making a mechanical noise (sonation) in 2013. The sonation, a clapping sound, was made in flight and is hypothesised to be made by the wings.[33]
Diet and feeding
Pittas feed in a thrush-like fashion, moving aside leaves with a sweeping motion of the bill. They have also been observed to probe the moist soil with their bills to locate earthworms. They have a keen sense of smell, and it has been suggested that they are able to locate earthworms this way. This suggestion was supported by a study which found that the Indian pitta has the largest olfactory bulb of 25 passerines examined.[15][35] Eight species have been recorded using stones as anvils on which to smash open snails to eat,[15] and the rainbow pitta has been observed using the root of a tree to do so.[36]
Breeding
Like most birds, pittas are
Pittas build a rudimentary nest that is a dome with a side entrance. The structure of the nest is consistent across the whole family. The nest is as large as a rugby ball, and is usually well-camouflaged amongst vines or vegetation of some kind. The nest's appearance is also difficult to distinguish from a heap of leaves pushed together by the wind;[15] a few species create a "doormat" of sticks (sometimes decorated with mammal dung[37]) by the entrance. The nests can either be placed on the ground or in trees. Some species always nest in trees, like both African species, others nest only on the ground, and others show considerable variation. Both sexes help to build the nest, but the male does most of the work. It takes around two to eight days to build a new nest; this probably varies depending on the experience of the birds involved. A new nest is constructed for each nesting attempt,[15] and work on building a nest for a second brood may start while the chicks from the first brood are still being fed.[38]
The clutch size varies by species. Typically three to five eggs are laid, but two is typical for the garnet pitta, whereas six is more common for the blue-winged pitta and the Indian pitta.[15] It is thought that species with higher levels of predation tend to have smaller clutches, as smaller clutches involve fewer provisioning trips that might alert a predator to the presence of a nest, and smaller clutches are easier to replace if lost.[38] Clutch size may vary within a species depending on latitude. A study of noisy pittas found that birds in the tropics had smaller clutch sizes than those in more temperate environments.[29] The eggs of pittas are slightly pointed at one end, and generally smooth (the deeply pitted eggs of the superb pitta being the exception to this). The size of eggs varies by species, smaller-sized species laying smaller eggs. There is also some variation in egg size within a species in species with large ranges. For example, the eggs of noisy pittas are smaller closer to the tropics.[15] Eggs are typically white or creamy, and usually slightly glossy.[39]
Both parents
Relationship with humans
The brilliant plumage of many pittas has resulted in considerable interest in pittas from people living within their range, scientists,
Status and conservation
Pittas are generally forest birds and, as such, are vulnerable to
The Gurney's pitta was not seen for 34 years between 1952 and 1986, before a small population was discovered in southern Thailand.
Pittas have been targeted by poachers for the illegal
Species of pitta
There are 44 species of pitta in three genera according to the International Ornithological Congress' (IOC) Birds of the World: Recommended English Names.[19]
Image | Genus | Living species |
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Hydrornis Blyth, 1843 |
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Erythropitta Bonaparte, 1854 |
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Pitta Vieillot, 1816 |
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Notes
- Turdidae or thrush family, in 1844.[3]
References
- hdl:2246/830.
- JSTOR 4088759.
- ^ Strickland, Hugh E. (1844). "Description of several new and imperfectly-defined genera and species of birds". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 13: 409-421 [410].
- ^ Edwards, George (1764). Gleanings of Natural History, Exhibiting Figures of Quadrupeds, Birds, Insects, Plants &c. Vol. 3. London: Printed for the author. p. 242, Plate 324.
- ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 158.
- ^ Erritzoe & Erritzoe 1998, pp. 14, 132.
- ^ Vieillot, Louis Pierre (1816). Analyse d'une Nouvelle Ornithologie Élémentaire (in French). Paris: Deterville/self. p. 42, Num. 137.
- ^ Whistler, H. (1949). Popular Handbook of Indian Birds (4th ed.). Gurney and Jackson. pp. 275–277.
- ^ S2CID 84788609.
- S2CID 15871486.
- .
- ^ PMID 28069777.
- S2CID 26905688.
- ^ Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. Volume 14. Vol. 14. London: British Museum. 1888. p. 412.
- ^ S2CID 241970288. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ Elliot, Daniel Giraud (1895). Monograph of the Pittidae, or the family of ant-thrushes. London: Bernard Quaritch.
- ISBN 978-84-87334-50-4.
- ^ Erritzoe & Erritzoe 1998, p. 14.
- ^ a b c Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "NZ wrens, broadbills, pittas". World Bird List Version 8.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ a b BirdLife International (2017). "Family Pittidae". Data Zone. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ Rheindt, Frank; James Easton (2010). "Biological species limits in the Banded Pitta Pitta guajana". Forktail. 26: 86–91.
- PMID 23554394.
- ^ Beddard, Frank E. (1898). The Structure and Classification of Birds. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. p. 181.
- ISBN 978-0643100862.
- .
- ^ a b Lok, A.; Khor, K.; Lim, K.; R. Subaraj (2009). "Pittas (Pittidae) of Singapore" (PDF). Nature in Singapore. 2: 155–165. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-01-25. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ a b BirdLife International. "Species factsheet: Pitta superba". Data Zone. BirdLife International. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ^ Erritzoe & Erritzoe 1998, p. 21.
- ^ .
- ^ a b Erritzoe & Erritzoe 1998, p. 22.
- ^ Zimmerman, Udo (1995). "Displays and postures of the Rainbow Pitta and other Australian Pittas". Australian Bird Watcher. 16 (4): 161–164.
- ISBN 978-0-19-553258-6.
- ^ Pegan, Teresa; Hruska, Jack; M. Hite, Justin (2013). "A newly described call and mechanical noise produced by the Black-and-crimson Pitta Pitta ussheri". Forktail. 29: 160–162.
- ^ a b c Lin, Ruey-Shing; Yao, Cheng-Te; Pei-Fen Lee (2007). "The diet of Fairy Pitta Pitta nympha nestlings in Taiwan as revealed by videotaping" (PDF). Zoological Studies. 46 (3): 355–361.
- S2CID 87392351.
- doi:10.1071/MU98007E.
- ^ Zimmerman, Udo; Noske, Richard (2004). "Why do Rainbow Pittas Pitta iris place wallaby dung at the entrance to their nests?". Australian Field Ornithology. 21 (4): 163–165.
- ^ S2CID 84067407.
- ^ Erritzoe & Erritzoe 1998, p. 26.
- ISSN 0007-1595.
- ^ Erritzoe & Erritzoe 1998, p. 27.
- ^ GrrlScientist (28 February 2011). "The Jewel Hunter [Book Review]". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
- ^ .
- .
- ^ BirdLife International (2001). "Blue-headed Pitta". Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. Cambridge: BirdLife International. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
- ^ Shepherd, Chris; Eaton, James; Serene, Chng (2015). "Pittas for a pittance: observations on the little known illegal trade in Pittidae in west Indonesia". Birding Asia. 24: 18–20.
- .
Cited texts
- Erritzoe, L.; Erritzoe, H. (1998). Pittas of the World, A Monograph of the Pitta Family. Cambridge: Lutterworth Press. ISBN 978-0-7188-2961-2.
External links
- Pitta videos on the Internet Bird Collection