Malaysian birds - Banded Pitta

Size & diagnostic markings:- 23 Cm. The Banded Pitta, roundish is 23 cm large. The upper part is warm brown while the under part is darker in shade. A center line on the crown is black otherwise the crown and head side is bright yellow turning to bright orange towards the back of the head. Then from the breast to the vent on the blue-black background there would be orange-rufous breast bars. A white band along the wings, upper tail blue and a white throat.

Distribution :- The bird is resident in the Greater Sundas. This is now a Malaysian bird as well though not easily encountered

Habitats & preferences:- This is a ground bird - living in very secluded deep lowland forest. Mainly flat with wetland characteristic attracting wild boars. It is the leeches that survive on the wild boar presence that becomes the Pitta stable diet.

Merapoh would be the prime site followed by Rengit . That is the first and everyone statement. I think the population of this bird is low and well scattered. Furthermore what ever bird present in the area must be so remote that their calls were never detected. More on the hunch of danger approaching, the bird would stop its routine. So its presence in that area is never detected. In the 2 places mentioned, the birds were well domesticated and continues calling attracted by playback.

Banded Pitta's picture No. 1

Banded Pitta's picture No. 2

Banded Pitta's picture No. 3

Banded Pitta's picture No. 4

With more photographers in the field, they have also lured the Banded Pitta in Kuala Ganda to join the crowd.

Remote forest? - It is understandable as the Pitta is a very shy bird that remains in a small confine with almost no encroachment by humans. The forest floor needs to be wet and litters with fallen and decaying logs, a habitats encouraging colonies of creepies and crawlies which the Pitta depends on for food. The forest area at Merapoh has such an environment which support a few species of Pittas. In other places like Rengit, their presence in the area is very much dependence on hearing their calls.

This is an extremely sensitive and shy bird and could quickly assess the situation in event of a provocation. It is of no use in detecting their presence and luring them out from the hiding places. The bird by habit knows how to conceal their physical presence. It is more important that the birder, like the Pitta, stays out of sight to bring about a level of confidence before the Pitta willingly drops its cautious mode and comes out into the open momentarily.

The series of pictures below demonstrates the anxious instances when the bird was trying to break its covers