Pitta (genus)
| Pitta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Green-breasted (left) and African (right) pittas | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Suborder: | Tyranni |
| Family: | Pittidae |
| Genus: | Pitta Vieillot, 1816 |
| Species | |
|
See text. | |
Pitta is a genus of birds in the Pittidae, or pitta family. They are secretive, brightly coloured birds that forage on the forest floor. They are long-legged and short-tailed with rounded wings.[1] Nest construction, incubation and rearing of nestlings is performed by both parents.[2] Incubation is completed in some 17 days, and the nestlings are altricial and nidicolous.[2]
The antpittas, a Neotropical bird family of some 50 species, resemble the pittas in their hopping gait, furtive behaviour, long legs and short tails.
Taxonomy
It contains 15 species, distributed from Africa, through southern, eastern and south-eastern Asia, to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia. It was formerly the sole genus in the family, containing 31 species.[1] However, following a 2006 study, two other genera, Erythropitta and Hydrornis, were split off, though all members of the family continue to be known as “pittas”.[3]
Species
- Hooded pitta, Pitta sordida
- Ivory-breasted pitta, Pitta maxima
- Superb pitta, Pitta superba
- Azure-breasted pitta, Pitta steerii
- Sula pitta, Pitta dohertyi
- African pitta, Pitta angolensis
- Green-breasted pitta, Pitta reichenowi
- Indian pitta, Pitta brachyura
- Fairy pitta, Pitta nympha
- Blue-winged pitta, Pitta moluccensis
- Mangrove pitta, Pitta megarhyncha
- Elegant pitta, Pitta elegans
- Noisy pitta, Pitta versicolor
- Black-faced pitta, Pitta anerythra
- Rainbow pitta, Pitta iris
References
- 1 2 Zimmerman, Dale A.; et al. (1999). Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Princeton University Press. p. 495. ISBN 0691010226.
- 1 2 Tarboton, Warwick (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Cape Town: Struik. p. 141. ISBN 1-86872-616-9.
- ↑ Irestedt, M., Ohlson, J. I., Zuccon, D., Källersjö, M. & Ericson, P. G. P. (2006). "Nuclear DNA from old collections of avian study skins reveals the evolutionary history of the Old World suboscines (Aves: Passeriformes)" (PDF). Zoologica Scripta 35: 567–580. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00249.x.