Pitta - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Pitta

Pitta
Pittas are a family, Pittidae, of passerine birds found in Asia,
Pitta
Australasia and Africa. There are thought to be 40 to 42 species of
pittas, all similar in general appearance and habits. The pittas are
Old World suboscines, and their closest relatives among other
birds are the broadbills in the genera Smithornis and
Calyptomena. Initially placed in a single genus, as of 2009 they
have been split into three genera: Pitta, Erythropitta and
Hydrornis. Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards, at
15 to 25 cm (5.9–9.8 in) in length, and stocky, with strong,
longish legs and long feet. They have very short tails and stout,
slightly decurved bills. Many have brightly coloured plumage. Hooded pitta in southern Thailand

Most pitta species are tropical, although a few species can be Scientific classification
found in temperate climates. They are mostly found in forests, but
Kingdom: Animalia
some live in scrub and mangroves. They are highly terrestrial and
mostly solitary, and usually forage on wet forest floors in areas
Phylum: Chordata
with good ground cover. They eat earthworms, snails, insects and Class: Aves
similar invertebrate prey, as well as small vertebrates. Pittas are
Order: Passeriformes
monogamous and females lay up to six eggs in a large domed nest
in a tree or shrub, or sometimes on the ground. Both parents care Suborder: Tyranni
for the young. Four species of pittas are fully migratory, and Infraorder: Eurylaimides
several more are partially so, though their migrations are poorly
Superfamily: Pittoidea
understood.
Family: Pittidae
Four species of pitta are listed as endangered by the International Authority disputed.[a]
Union for Conservation of Nature; a further nine species are listed
as vulnerable and several more are near-threatened. The main
Genera
threat to pittas is habitat loss in the form of rapid deforestation,
Erythropitta
but they are also targeted by the cage-bird trade. They are popular
with birdwatchers because of their bright plumage and the Hydrornis
difficulty in seeing them. Pitta

Contents
Taxonomy and systematics
Description
Distribution and habitat
Behaviour and ecology
Sociality and calls
Diet and feeding
Breeding

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Relationship with humans

Status and conservation
Species of pitta
Notes
References
Cited text
External links

Taxonomy and systematics

The first pitta to be described scientifically was the Indian pitta, which
was described and illustrated by George Edwards in 1764.[4] Carl
Linnaeus included the species in his revised 12th edition (1766–1768)
of the Systema Naturae based on Edwards' descriptions and
illustrations as well as other accounts, placing it with the Corvidae as
Corvus brachyurus.[5] Ten years later Statius Müller moved it and
three other pittas to the thrush family Turdidae and the genus Turdus,
due to similarities of morphology and behaviour.[6] In 1816 Louis
The rusty-naped pitta was once
Vieillot moved it to the new genus Pitta.[7] The name is derived from
placed in the genus Pitta but is now
the word pitta in the Telugu language of South India meaning "small
in Hydrornis.
bird".[8]

The family's closest relatives have for a long time been assumed to be the other suboscine birds (suborder
Tyranni), and particularly the Old World suboscines; the broadbills, asities and the New World sapayoa. These
arboreal relatives were formerly treated as two families, and are now either combined into a single taxon or split
into four. A 2006 study confirmed that these were indeed the closest relatives of the pittas.[9] The clade they form,
the Eurylaimides, is one of the two infraorders of suboscines, which is one of three suborders of the passerine
birds. With regards to their relationship within the Eurylaimides, another 2006 study placed the pittas as a sister
clade to two clades of broadbills and asities. This same study postulated an Asian origin for the Eurylaimides and
therefore the pittas.[10]

Two DNA studies, from 2015 and 2016, came to a different

  Pittidae (pittas)
conclusion, finding that the Eurylaimides were divided into two  
clades and that the pittas formed a clade with the broadbills of the  
  Calyptomenidae (green and
genera Smithornis and Calyptomena, with the remaining broadbills  
  African broadbills)
and asities in the other clade.[11][12] The 2016 study also disputed the  
 
earlier claims about the origin of the group, and concluded that the  
  Eurylaimidae (broadbills)
 
most likely ancestral home of the pittas and the Eurylaimides was    
Africa (the sapayoa having diverged before the core clades had     Philepittidae (asities)
reached Africa). The study found that the pittas diverged from the  
Smithornis and Calyptomena broadbills 24 to 30 million years ago,   Sapayoidae (sapayoa)
 
during the Oligocene. The pittas diverged and spread through Asia
before the oscines (suborder Passeri) reached the Old World from Phylogeny of the Eurylaimides,
showing the relationship of the pittas
Australia.[12]
(Pittidae), based on Selvatti et al, 2016
The number of pitta genera has varied considerably since Vieillot, ranging from one to as many as nine. In his 1863
work A Monograph of the Pittidae, Daniel Elliot split the pittas into two genera, Pitta for the species with
comparatively long tails and (the now abandoned) Brachyurus for the shorter-tailed species. Barely two decades

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later, in 1880/81, John Gould split the family into nine genera, in which he also included the lesser melampitta (in
the genus Melampitta) of New Guinea, where it was kept until 1931 when Ernst Mayr demonstrated that it had the
syrinx of an oscine bird.[13] Philip Sclater's Catalogue of the Birds of the British Museum (1888) brought the
number back down to four – Anthocincla, Pitta, Eucichla, and Coracopitta.[14][15] Elliot's 1895 Monograph of the
Pittidae included three genera split into subgenera Anthocincla, Pitta (subgenera Calopitta, Leucopitta,
Gigantipitta, Hydrornis, Coloburis, Cervinipitta, Purpureipitta, Phaenicocichla, Monilipitta, Erythropitta,
Cyanopitta, Galeripitta, Pulchripitta, Iridipitta), and Eucichla (subgenera Ornatipitta, Insignipitta).[16]

Modern treatments of taxa within the family vary as well. A 1975

  Pitta
checklist included six genera, whereas the 2003 volume of the  
 
Handbook of the Birds of the World, which covered the family, placed  
    Erythropitta
all the pittas in a single genus.[17] Writing in 1998, Johannes Erritzoe    
stated that most contemporary authors considered the family to   Hydrornis
contain a single genus.[18] Before 2006 the family was not well  
studied using modern anatomical or phylogenetic techniques; two Phylogeny of the family Pittidae,
studies, in 1987 and 1990, each used only four species, and based on Selvatti et al, 2016
comparisons amongst the family as a whole had relied mostly on
external features and appearances.[9]

A 2006 study of the nuclear DNA of the pittas was the first to examine
most representatives of the family, and found evidence of three major
clades of pitta. Based on the study the pittas were split into three
genera. The first clade, using the genus name Erythropitta, included
six species that had previously been considered closely related based on
external features. They are all generally small species with small tails,
extensive amounts of crimson or red on the underparts, and greenish
or blueish backs.[9] The second genus, Hydrornis, includes variable
In 2010 the banded pitta was split
Asian species. These species are unified morphologically in exhibiting
into three species, making this male
sexual dimorphism in their plumage, as well as in possessing cryptic
a Malayan banded pitta.
juvenile plumage (in all the species thus-far studied). This genus
includes the eared pitta, which had often been placed into its own
genus, Anthocincla, on account of its apparently primitive characteristics. The third genus, Pitta, is the most
widespread. Most species in this genus have green upperparts with a blue wing-patch, dark upperparts and
cinnamon-buff underparts. This clade contains all the migratory pitta species, and it is thought that many of the
pitta species from islands are derived from migratory species.[9] This division of the pittas into three genera has
been adopted by the International Ornithological Congress' (IOC) Birds of the World: Recommended English
Names,[19] the Handbook of the Birds of the World's HBW Alive checklist, and the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (which follows the HBW Alive checklist).[20]

As with genera, there has been considerable variation in the number of accepted pitta species. The checklists of
Sclater and Elliot at the end of the 19th century contained 48 and 47 species respectively. More recent checklists
have had fewer than this, one from 1975 listing just 24 species. Since the 1990s, the figure has been between 30
and 32 species; the 2003 Handbook of the Birds of the World recognised 30. One species not recognised by the
handbook is the black-crowned pitta, which it treated as a subspecies of either the garnet pitta or the graceful
pitta.[15] Since the publication of the handbook, further splits to pitta species have been made; in 2010 the banded
pitta was split into three species, one endemic to Java and Bali, one endemic to Borneo and one found in Sumatra
and the Thai-Malay Peninsula.[21] A 2013 study found that the red-bellied pitta, a widespread species found from
Sulawesi to Australia, was actually a species complex. The study divided it into 17 new species,[22] although some
authorities have recognised fewer, for example the IOC have recognised only 10.[19]

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Description
The pittas are small to medium-sized passerines, ranging in size from
the blue-banded pitta at 15 cm (5.9 in) to the giant pitta, which can be
up to 29 cm (11 in) in length. In weight they range from 42 to 210 g
(1.5–7.4 oz). Pittas are stout-bodied birds with long, strong tarsi (lower
leg bones) and long feet. The colour of the legs and feet can vary
dramatically even within a species. This may be a characteristic used by
females in judging the quality of a prospective mate. The wings have
ten primaries that are generally rounded and short; those of the four
The blue pitta is sexually dimorphic,
migratory species are more pointed. There are nine secondaries with
the bright plumage of this bird
the tenth being vestigial. Anatomically, pittas have large temporal
means it is a male
fossae in the skull unlike typical perching birds.[23] The syrinx is
tracheo-bronchial and lacks a pessulus or intrinsic muscles.[24]
Although pittas are behaviourally reluctant to fly, they are capable and even strong fliers. The tails range from
being short to very short, and are composed of twelve feathers.[15][25]

Unlike most other forest-floor bird species, the plumage of pittas is often bright and colourful. Only one species,
the eared pitta, has entirely cryptic colours in the adults of both sexes. In the same genus, Hydrornis, are three
further species with drabber than average plumage, the blue-naped pitta, blue-rumped pitta and rusty-naped pitta.
Like the other Hydrornis pittas they are sexually dimorphic in their plumage, the females tending towards being
drabber and more cryptic than the males. In general the sexes in the family tend to be very similar if not identical.
Across most of the family the brighter colours tend to be on the undersides, with patches or areas of bright colours
on the rump, wings and uppertail coverts being concealable. Being able to conceal bright colours from above is
important as most predators approach from above, although there are four species that have brighter
upperparts.[15]

Distribution and habitat

The pittas are generally birds of tropical forests, semi-forests and scrub. Most species need forests with lots of
cover, a rich understory, and leaf litter for feeding, and they are often found near waterways as well. Some species
inhabit swamps and bamboo forests,[15] and the mangrove pitta, as its name suggests, is a mangrove specialist.[26]
Several species are lowland forest specialists. For example, the rainbow pitta is not found above 400 m (1,300 ft).
Other species may occur at much higher elevations, including, for example, the rusty-naped pitta, which has been
found up to 2,600 m (8,500 ft). The altitudinal preferences varies in the fairy pitta across its range, it can be found
up to 1,300 m (4,300 ft) in Taiwan but stays at lower altitudes in Japan.[15] As well as natural habitats, pittas may
use human-altered spaces. For example, migrating blue-winged pittas and hooded pittas use parks and urban
gardens in Singapore.[26]

The greatest diversity of pittas is found in South-east Asia. Of the three genera, the large genus Pitta is the most
widespread. The two species found in Africa, the African pitta and green-breasted pitta, are from this clade, as is
the most northerly species (the fairy pitta) and the most southerly (the noisy pitta, Pitta versicolor). The most
remote insular endemics are in this group as well, including the black-faced pitta, which is endemic to the Solomon
Islands. The pittas of the clade Erythropitta are mostly found in Asia. with one species, the Papuan pitta, reaching
the north of Australia. The Hydrornis pittas are exclusively Asian.[15][9] Some pittas have large distributions, like
the hooded pitta, which ranges from Nepal to New Guinea, while others have much smaller ones, like the superb
pitta, which is endemic to the tiny island of Manus in the Admiralty Islands.[15][27]

The movements of pittas are poorly known and notoriously difficult to study.[28] Bird ringing studies have not shed

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The fairy pitta migrates from Korea,
Japan, Taiwan and coastal China to
Borneo
much light on this. One study in the Philippines ringed 2000 red-
bellied pittas but only recaptured ten birds, and only one of these
recaptures was more than two months after the initial capture. Only
four species of pitta are fully or mostly migratory, all in the genus Pitta:
the Indian pitta, the African pitta, the fairy pitta and the blue-winged
pitta. As well as these four, the northern subspecies of the hooded pitta
is a full migrant. Other species make smaller or more local, and poorly
understood, movements across small parts of their range,[15] including
the noisy pitta of Australia.[29] The migration of pittas is apparently
nocturnal, and pittas migrate in small loose flocks that use the same
resting and foraging sites each year.[30]
Behaviour and ecology

Sociality and calls

Pittas are diurnal, requiring light to find their often cryptic prey. They are nevertheless often found in darker areas
and are highly secretive, though they will respond to imitations of their calls. They are generally found as single
birds, even young birds not associating with their parents unless they are being fed. The only exception to their
solitary lifestyle is small groups that have been observed forming during migration.[15]

The pittas are strongly territorial, with territories varying in size from 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft) in the African pitta
to 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft) in the rainbow pitta. They have also been found to be highly aggressive in captivity,
attacking other species and even their own, although such behaviour has not been observed in the wild.[30] Pittas
will perform territory-defence displays on the edges of their territories, although fights between rivals have only
been recorded once. One such territorial display is given by the rainbow pitta, which holds its legs straight and
bows to a rival on the edge of its territory, while making a purring call. Displays like this are paired with calls made
out of sight of potential rivals;[31] these territorial calls are frequent and can account for up to 12% of a bird's
daylight activity.[32] Migratory species will defend non-breeding feeding territories as well as their breeding
ones.[15]

The vocalisations of pittas are best described as calls, as they are generally short, mono or disyllabic, and often
fluting or whirring. They are made by both sexes and throughout the year.[15] One species, the black-and-crimson
pitta, was also described making a mechanical noise (sonation) in 2013. The sonation, a clapping sound, was made
in flight and is hypothesised to be made by the wings.[33]

Diet and feeding

Earthworms form the major part of the diet of pittas, followed by snails. Earthworms can become seasonally
unavailable in dry conditions when the worms move deeper into the soil, and pittas also take a wide range of other
invertebrate prey, including many insects groups such as termites, ants, beetles, true bugs, and lepidopterans.
Freshwater crabs, centipedes, millipedes, and spiders are also taken.[15] Some species, such as the fairy pitta and
rainbow pitta, have been recorded feeding on small vertebrate prey. This including skinks, frogs, snakes and, in the
case of the fairy pitta, shrews.[15][34] There are also records of some pittas taking plant food, such as the
Carpentaria palm fruits or maize seeds.[15]

Pittas feed in a thrush-like fashion, moving aside leaves with a sweeping motion of the bill. They have also been
observed to probe the moist soil with their bills to locate earthworms. They have a keen sense of smell, and it has

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been suggested that they are able to locate earthworms this way. This
suggestion was supported by a study which found that the Indian pitta has the
largest olfactory bulb of 25 passerines examined.[15][35] Eight species have been
recorded using stones as anvils on which to smash open snails to eat,[15] and the
rainbow pitta has been observed using the root of a tree to do so.[36]

Breeding
Like most birds, pittas are monogamous breeders, and defend breeding
territories. Most species are seasonal breeders, timing their breeding to occur at
the onset of the rainy season.[15][29] An exception to this is the superb pitta,
which breeds almost year-round, as the island of Manus on which it breeds
remains wet all year. The courtship behaviours of the family are poorly known,
but the elaborate dance of the African pitta includes jumping into the air with a The anvil of a noisy pitta,
used to smash snails
puffed-out breast and parachuting back down to the perch.[15]
against to remove the shells
Pittas build a rudimentary nest that
is a dome with a side entrance. The
structure of the nest is consistent across the whole family. The nest is as
large as a rugby ball, and is usually well-camouflaged amongst vines or
vegetation of some kind. The nest's appearance is also difficult to
distinguish from a heap of leaves pushed together by the wind,[15]
although a few species create a "doormat" of sticks (sometimes
decorated with mammal dung[37]) by the entrance. The nests can either
An incubating green-breasted pitta be placed on the ground or in trees. Some species always nest in trees,
in its domed nest
like both African species, others nest only on the ground, and others
show considerable variation. Both sexes help to build the nest, but the
male does most of the work. It takes around two to eight days to build a new nest; this probably varies depending
on the experience of the birds involved. A new nest is constructed for each nesting attempt,[15] and work on
building a nest for a second brood may start while the chicks from the first brood are still being fed.[38]

The clutch size varies by species. Typically three to five eggs are laid, but two is typical for the garnet pitta, whereas
six is more common for the blue-winged pitta and the Indian pitta.[15] It is thought that species with higher levels
of predation tend to have smaller clutches, as smaller clutches involve fewer provisioning trips that might alert a
predator to the presence of a nest, and smaller clutches are easier to replace if lost.[38] Clutch size may vary within
a species depending on latitude. A study of noisy pittas found that birds in the tropics had smaller clutch sizes than
those in more temperate environments.[29] The eggs of pittas are slightly pointed at one end, and generally smooth
(the deeply pitted eggs of the superb pitta being the exception to this). The size of eggs varies by species, smaller-
sized species laying smaller eggs. There is also some variation in egg size within a species in species with large
ranges. For example, the eggs of noisy pittas are smaller closer to the tropics.[15] Eggs are typically white or
creamy, and usually slightly glossy.[39]

Both parents incubate the clutch, the period between laying and hatching being between 14 and 18 days (14 to 16
being more typical). The chicks usually hatch asynchronously, over several days, but in some species the hatching
is synchronous. On hatching the Gurney's pitta parents are reported to consume the eggshells. This behaviour
ensures that the calcium used to create the eggs is not lost. It is unknown if other species do this, but it is a
common behaviour among birds. As with the incubation, both parents are involved in rearing the chicks. The
chicks of pittas are entirely altricial, hatching both naked and blind, and dependent upon their parents for warmth,
food and nest sanitation. Young chicks are brooded continuously, the female brooding alone in some species and

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sharing responsibilities with the male in others.[40] The males and

females make regular feeding trips to the chicks;[15] one study of
Gurney's pittas found a pair made 2300 feeding visits to the nest,
traveling an estimated 460 km (290 mi) over the nestling stage.[41]
Earthworms are important food items for many species, and the
dominant item in the nestling diet of some. 73% of the parental visits of
fairy pittas, 63% of rainbow pitta's, up to 79% of Gurney's pitta's visits
involved bringing earthworms. Parents can and do carry more than one
item in their bills during visits; in a study of breeding fairy pittas, as
The Indian pitta has a clutch size of
many as six items were observed being brought in a single visit, six or more eggs
although less than four was typical.[34] When the chicks are small, prey
may be broken up before being fed to the chicks,[15] and larger prey
items like skinks and snakes are only fed to the older chicks able to manage them.[34]

Relationship with humans

The brilliant plumage of many pittas has resulted in considerable interest in pittas from people living within their
range, scientists, aviculturists and birdwatchers, and has led to the colloquial name jewel-thrushes. Such is their
attractiveness that, in Borneo, even the body of a dead pitta can be a favoured toy for local children. They have
proven difficult to maintain and breed in captivity, requiring large amounts of space, humidity and sufficient
vegetation of the right kind.[15] Pittas are a very popular group of birds with birdwatchers, due to the dazzling
plumage of many species and the relative difficulty of seeing these retiring birds in dark forests.[15] Their
desirability as birdwatching targets was the subject of the book The Jewel Hunter (2013), in which the writer Chris
Goodie recounted his attempt to see every species of pitta.[42]

Status and conservation

Pittas are generally forest birds and, as such, are vulnerable to habitat
loss caused by rapid deforestation.[15] They can also be difficult birds to
survey and are easily overlooked.[43] Four species are assessed to be
endangered, and a further nine are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.
Eight species are listed as near-threatened, and one, the Louisiade
pitta, is too poorly known to be assessed and is listed as data
deficient.[20]

The Gurney's pitta was not seen for 34 years between 1952 and 1986,
before a small population was discovered in southern Thailand.[44] This Blue-headed pittas (male left,
female right) are threatened by rapid
small population declined after its rediscovery, and, by 2000, it had
deforestation in Borneo
reached a low of 10 pairs, and was listed as critically endangered. In
2003, the species was found in Burma for the first time since 1914, and
in large numbers, between nine and thirty five thousand pairs. Although the species was considerably less
threatened than thought, it is still of considerable conservation concern, as deforestation of the habitat in Burma
continues.[43] The rapid rate of deforestation in Borneo has pushed the blue-headed pitta, considered common and
secure as recently as 1996, into the list of species considered vulnerable.[45]

Pittas have been targeted by poachers for the illegal wild-bird trade. They are not targeted because of their song, as
many songbirds are, and may simply be captured as bycatch from collecting other species, and because of their
attractive plumage. According to some trappers, they also may end up being eaten for food.[46] On Manus, locals
report that predation by snakes, including the brown tree snake, is responsible for the rarity of the endangered

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superb pitta,[47] but the snake, the introduction of which is responsible for several extinctions of island birds
across the Pacific, is native to the island, and is therefore likely a natural threat.[27]

Species of pitta
There are 42 species of pitta in three genera according to the International Ornithological Congress' (IOC) Birds of
the World: Recommended English Names.[19]

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Image Genus Living species

Eared pitta, Hydrornis phayrei

Blue-naped pitta, Hydrornis nipalensis
Blue-rumped pitta, Hydrornis soror
Rusty-naped pitta, Hydrornis oatesi
Schneider's pitta, Hydrornis schneideri
Giant pitta, Hydrornis caerulea
Hydrornis Blue-headed pitta, Hydrornis baudii
Blue pitta, Hydrornis cyanea
Bar-bellied pitta, Hydrornis elliotii
Javan banded pitta, Hydrornis guajana
Malayan banded pitta, Hydrornis irena
Bornean banded pitta, Hydrornis schwaneri
Gurney's pitta, Hydrornis gurneyi

Whiskered pitta, Erythropitta kochi

Philippine pitta, Erythropitta erythrogaster
Sula pitta, Erythropitta dohertyi
Sulawesi pitta, Erythropitta celebensis
Siau pitta, Erythropitta palliceps
Sangihe pitta, Erythropitta caeruleitorques
South Moluccan pitta, Erythropitta rubrinucha
Erythropitta North Moluccan pitta, Erythropitta rufiventris
Louisiade pitta, Erythropitta meeki
Bismarck pitta, Erythropitta novaehibernicae
Papuan pitta, Erythropitta macklotii
Blue-banded pitta, Erythropitta arcuata
Garnet pitta, Erythropitta granatina
Black-crowned pitta, Erythropitta ussheri
Graceful pitta, Erythropitta venusta

Hooded pitta, Pitta sordida

Ivory-breasted pitta, Pitta maxima
Superb pitta, Pitta superba
Azure-breasted pitta, Pitta steerii
African pitta, Pitta angolensis
Green-breasted pitta, Pitta reichenowi
Pitta 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

Notes
a. Walter Bock credited William Swainson, 1831 as the authority for the family name Pittidae.[1] This assignment
has been disputed by Storrs Olson on the grounds that Swainson used the word Pittae as the plural form of

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the Latin word Pitta and did not intend to introduce a family name.[2] Charles Lucian Bonaparte used "Pittidae"
for the family in 1850.[3]

References
1. Bock, Walter J. (1994). History and Nomenclature of Avian Family-Group Names (http://digitallibrary.amnh.org
/handle/2246/830). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Number 222. New York: American
Museum of Natural History. pp. 147, 262.
2. Olson, Storrs L. (1995). "Reviewed Work: History and Nomenclature of Avian Family-Group Names. Bulletin of
the American Museum of Natural History, Volume 222 by W.J. Bock" (https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files
/journals/auk/v112n02/p0524-p0546.pdf) (PDF). The Auk. 112 (2): 539–546 [544]. doi:10.2307/4088759
(https://doi.org/10.2307%2F4088759). JSTOR 4088759 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4088759).
3. Bonaparte, Charles Lucian (1850). Conspectus Generum Avium (https://biodiversitylibrary.org
/page/43560384) (in Latin). Volume 1. Leiden: E.J. Brill. p. 253.
4. Edwards, George (1764). Gleanings of Natural History, Exhibiting Figures of Quadrupeds, Birds, Insects,
Plants &c (https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50176497). Volume 3. London: Printed for the author. p. 242,
Plate 324.
5. Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species,
cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42946354) (in Latin).
Volume 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 158.
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Cited text
Erritzoe, L.; Erritzoe, H. (1998). Pittas of the World, A Monograph of the Pitta Family. Cambridge: Lutterworth
Press. ISBN 978-0-7188-2961-2.

External links
Pitta videos (http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/pittas-pittidae) on the Internet Bird Collection

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Pitta - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitta

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