Malayan banded pitta

The Malayan banded pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. Other common names include the blue-tailed pitta, the Irene's pitta, the banded pitta and the Van den Bosch's pitta. It is found in Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Bornean and Javan banded pittas, together they were referred to as the banded pitta, but now they are considered to be separate species.

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Distribution

Region

Sundaland (southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra)

Typical Environment

Inhabits lowland and hill evergreen forests, including mature primary forest and well-structured secondary growth. Prefers dense, shaded understory with plentiful leaf litter and often frequents stream gullies and bamboo thickets. Typically keeps close to the forest floor, moving quietly through cover. It can persist in selectively logged forest if understory remains intact, but avoids highly degraded habitats.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1500 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size18–20 cm

Wing Span25–30 cm

Male Weight0.095 kg

Female Weight0.085 kg

Life Expectancy7 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

Once lumped with the Bornean and Javan banded pittas, it is now treated as a distinct species. It is notoriously shy, keeping to dense understory where it forages by flipping leaf litter for invertebrates. Its clear, fluty whistles often reveal its presence long before the bird is seen.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

shy and secretive

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats, low through understory

Social Behavior

Usually solitary or in pairs, maintaining territories on the forest floor. Nests are domed or ball-shaped structures placed low in dense cover. Breeding typically coincides with wetter months; both parents participate in incubation and care of the young.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A clear, fluty series of whistles, often given as repeated two- or three-note phrases. Calls carry well in dense forest and are the primary cue used to locate the bird.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Malayan black-capped babbler

The Malayan black-capped babbler is a species of bird in the family Pellorneidae. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Bangka Island, Belitung and North Natuna. This species, the Javan black-capped babbler and the Bornean black-capped babbler were formerly considered conspecific, but were split from it in 2021. Together they were called the black-capped babbler. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

Malayan crested argus

The Malayan crested argus is a large and spectacular peafowl-like species of bird in the pheasant family with dark-brown-spotted black and buff plumage, a heavy pink bill, brown irises and blue skin around the eyes. The head has two crests; the hind crest, which extends down the occiput, is erected when alarmed and during intentional behaviors including pair bonding and courtship displays. The male has a broad and greatly elongated tail of twelve feathers. The tail covert of the male is the longest of any bird and is believed to contain the longest feathers to occur in a wild bird; the Reeves's pheasant has tail feathers of similar length but which are considerably narrower. The tail coverts measure up to 1.73 m (5.7 ft) in length, giving the bird a total length of 1.9–2.39 m (6.2–7.8 ft).