Animalia Life

Pitta gurneyi
TAXONOMY
Pitta gurneyi Hume, 1875, Tenasserim, Burma.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Black-breasted pitta; French: Brиve de Gurney; German: Goldkehlpitta; Spanish: Pita de Gurney.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
8.3 in (21 cm); approximately 1.8–2.5 oz (50–70 g). Male has black face, blue crown; white under bill and yellow band on upper breast. Underparts are black but yellow banded with black at the sides. Back and wings brownish with blue tail. Female is buffy to brownish from crown to nape; buffy underparts with light brownish banding.
DISTRIBUTION
Peninsular Thailand and Tenasserim, Myanmar.
HABITAT
Semi-evergreen rainforest, secondary forest, and degraded forest fragments; often near streams and gullies; from sea level up to 515 ft (160 m).
BEHAVIOR
Primarily terrestrial; occurs alone or in pairs. Males defend territories by calling, which may be accompanied with a “wingflicking” display.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Forages for invertebrates in the leaf-litter of the forest floor and digs for earthworms with its bill. Food items include small spiders, insects, insect larvae, slugs, snails, earthworms, and frogs.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeds May to August. Domed nest is located 3–10 ft (1–3 m) above the ground, often in palm trees. Nest constructed from dead leaves and twigs on a base of larger sticks; lined with fine rootlets. Clutch size usually three to four. Eggs similar to those of the hooded pitta; white with dark purple or brownish spots over gray markings, most numerous on widest end. Female and male share incubation, brooding, and provisioning of young.
CONSERVATION STATUS
This species is considered Critically Endangered and only just survives. It has a single, very small, declining population and a similarly small, declining range. Threats to the species from
HABITAT
destruction are still compounded by trapping for the cage bird trade.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Historically, this species was trapped for the cage bird trade. However, with increasing awareness of the dwindling population size, the economic value of Gurney’s pitta has begun to shift from illegal trade to conservation-based ecotourism.

Other popular Animals