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

The genus contains 14 species, distributed from Africa, through southern, eastern and south-eastern Asia, to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia.[3] 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”.[4]

Species

References

  1. 1 2 Zimmerman, Dale A.; et al. (1999). Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Princeton University Press. p. 495. ISBN 0691010226.
  2. 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.
  3. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "NZ wrens, broadbills & pittas". World Bird List Version 7.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  4. 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.


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