Garnet pitta
The garnet pitta (Erythropitta granatina) is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. The form occurring in the Malaysian state of Sabah has been split as the black-crowned pitta (Erythropitta ussheri).
| Garnet pitta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Adult (left) and juvenile (right) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Pittidae |
| Genus: | Erythropitta |
| Species: | E. granatina |
| Binomial name | |
| Erythropitta granatina (Temminck, 1830) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Pitta granatina | |
Diet
The garnet pitta is an insectivore, feeding mainly on ants, wood grubs, cockroaches, and beetles.
Characteristics
The Garnet pitta is about 17 cm long. The bird has a black head with a bright blue stripe at the eyebrows and a red cap. The breast is dark blue at the top, and carmine red beneath. The back and wings are bright blue. Juvenile pittas have a mostly brown color (see illustration).
Breeding
Pairs mate between March and August. A pair will lay a clutch of two eggs.
Status
The Garnet pitta is considered as near threatened on the IUCN red list. Its natural habitat is threatened by systematic illegal deforestation and damaging forest fires.
References
- BirdLife International (2016). "Erythropitta granatina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22735819A95118964. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22735819A95118964.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.