Rainbow pitta
| Rainbow pitta | ||||||||||||
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Rainbow pitta |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pitta iris | ||||||||||||
| Gould , 1842 |
The rainbow pitta ( Pitta iris ) is a passerine bird of the genus Pitta within the family of the Pittas (Pittidae). It occurs exclusively in northern Australia . Two subspecies are distinguished in the distribution area.
The IUCN classifies the rainbow bitta as not at risk ( least concern ).
description
The rainbow pitta reaches a length of 15 to 16 centimeters and a weight of 55 to 72 grams. The body shape is typical of species from the Pittas family. The legs are high and strong. The stump tail looks like it has been cut off. The beak is of medium length and pointed slightly downwards. The head is proportionally large to the body, but the neck is so short that the rainbow pitta has the squat shape typical of Pittas. The wings are short and rounded. They protrude just above the control springs .
The head and the neck are velvety black, a maroon stripe borders the head cap on each part. In most individuals, this stripe runs down to the neck. The top of the body is otherwise shiny olive green. Many individuals also have a narrow, silvery green-blue band on the upper half of the control springs. The wings are black with pale brown feathers and a white spot on the fifth and sixth wings. The wings are black with a greenish border. The large wing covers are iridescent olive-green, the middle covers are bright blue and the small wing covers are iridescent blue-green. The underside of the body is black, only the flanks are isabel-colored. The lower abdomen and the lower tail-coverts are bright red.
The beak is black, the tongue orange, the inside of the beak is white. The eyes are dark brown. The legs are silver-gray to flesh-colored.
Possible confusion
There are several other pittas in the distribution area of the jewelry pitta, but it is the only one with a black underside of the body. The noise pitta and the little blue-winged pitta have isabel-colored undersides, the Philippines blue -breasted pitta has a blue chest band and a partly red chest and a red belly.
Distribution area, subspecies and habitat
The rainbow pitta occurs exclusively in the Australian state of Northern Territory and also inhabits some islands off the coast. A distinction is made between two subspecies in this comparatively small distribution area.
- P. i. johnstoneiana Schodde & Mason , 1999 - Northwest Australia from the northwest Kimberley to the Prince Regent Range.
- P. i. iris Gould , 1842 - The nominate form first described by John Gould occurs in the north of the Northern Territory. The distribution area extends from Melville Island to the Groote Eylandt .
The rainbow pieta is a resident bird in its entire range.
The habitat are predominantly eucalyptus forests, but also mixed forests with a high proportion of eucalyptus trees. The forests that it colonizes are counted among the monsoon rainforests.
Way of life
The rainbow pitta is a territorial bird that defends an average of about one hectare in size. However, the size of the area is also influenced by local conditions. In forests with comparatively little rainfall, the areas are also up to two hectares in size. In areas with ideal living conditions, the rainbow pitta also has areas of half a hectare in size.
The diet consists of snails, worms, grasshoppers, larvae of wood-boring beetles, moths, ants, other small insects and small skinks . During the rainy season, earthworms play a particularly important role. The snails are not smashed in a forge , as is the case with the Lärmpitta, for example , but on branches. The accumulation of snail shells typical of noise pittas in certain places is therefore not found in the rainbow pitta.
The typical behavior of the rainbow pitta when foraging is a series of four or six hops, then pauses to examine the foliage for food. Occasionally they also examine the brood mounds of Reinward chickens for food.
Reproduction
The breeding season begins just before the onset of monsoon rains in November and usually ends in March. The nest is vaulted with a side entrance. It is about 30 centimeters wide and long and has a height of 21 centimeters. It is built from small twigs, bark, bamboo and various leaves. It is either erected directly on the ground or in trees up to a height of three meters. The clutch consists of three to four eggs. Both parent birds breed. The incubation period is 14 days. The nestling period is 15 days, during which time they are fed by both parent birds. Rainbow Pietas usually raise two broods per breeding season.
literature
- Johannes Erritzøe , Helga Erritzoe: Pittas of the World - A Monograph on the Pitta Family. The Lutterworth Press, Cambridge 1998, ISBN 0-7188-2961-1 .
