Garnet pitta
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Garnet pitta ( Erythropitta granatina ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Erythropitta granatina | ||||||||||||
| ( Temminck , 1830) |
The pomegranate pitta ( Erythropitta granatina ) is a species of bird from the genus Erythropitta in the family of the Pittas (Pittidae).
features
The 15 cm long garnet pitta is a stocky bird with a large head and strong beak and large eyes; on top it is brightly colored with blue parts on the wings. The underside is bright red with an anthracite to black throat.
It has a narrow blue or brightly reflective eye stripe. Both the male and the female have bright, jewel-like plumage. As for all Pittas (Pittidae) they have long legs with short, strong claws that are light to flesh-colored.
Occurrence
The pomegranate inhabits tropical and subtropical lowland forests and swamps up to a height of 600 meters above sea level, in Malaysia , Sumatra and Borneo . Usually they live together in small groups. Their occurrence is decreasing as their habitat is being destroyed. The rapid destruction of the lowland forests in particular is of crucial importance for this species.
behavior
The garnet pitta is a ground dweller that moves quickly by hopping in the undergrowth. She spends the night and occasionally sings in trees. Their diet consists mainly of fruits, seeds, insects, ants, beetles and other invertebrates such as snails. She shatters the shells of snails by hitting them against tree trunks or stones. It searches for them with its beak in the ground and under loose leaves, and sometimes it also flies short distances to reach its prey.
Reproduction
The garnet pitta usually builds a dome-shaped nest with a side entrance on the ground or in the bushes close to the ground. A narrow entrance leads to the nesting chamber, which is padded with moss and rotting leaves. The pomegranate clutch consists of two eggs. The breeding season extends from March to August.
The young of the pomegranate pitta are brown in color and only gradually develop the bright plumage of the adult birds. Possibly. this is due to the fact that the young birds are better camouflaged and therefore more difficult for other predators to see.
Subspecies
- Erythropitta granatina granatina , is a subspecies found in Sumatra
- Erythropitta granatina coccinea Eyton , 1830 ; subspecies endemic to Borneo
literature
- Colin Harrison & Alan Greensmith: Birds. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London 1993, 2000, ISBN 3-8310-0785-3
- Bryan Richard: Birds. Parragon, Bath, ISBN 1-4054-5506-3
- BirdLife International. 2016. Erythropitta granatina. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22735819A95118964.
Web links
- Erythropitta granatina inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.3. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2017.