Hydrornis baudii
The Blue-headed Pitta (Hydrornis baudii) is a strikingly beautiful and elusive passerine endemic to the island of Borneo. Males are instantly recognizable by their brilliant azure-blue head, contrasting with a deep black facial mask and a vibrant scarlet-red belly. Their back is glossy black with iridescent blue patches on the wings and rump, and a distinctive white band on the greater coverts provides a key field mark during flight or display. Females, while sharing the same general pattern,...
This pitta primarily inhabits primary and selectively logged lowland rainforests, often preferring areas with dense undergrowth and a closed canopy, typically found below 600 meters in elevation.
Their diet primarily consists of various invertebrates such as insects (beetles, ants, termites), spiders, earthworms, and snails, which they forage for by rummaging through leaf litter.
Blue-headed Pittas are largely diurnal but exceptionally secretive, spending most of their time on the forest floor, where they move with a characteristic hopping gait. Foraging involves meticulously flipping over leaves, digging in the soil, and gleaning insects from decaying logs and leaf litte...
The Blue-headed Pitta is strictly endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is a resident species found across parts of Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak and Sabah), Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan), and Brunei Darussalam. Its distribution is somewhat fragmented, primarily occurring in lowland and lower mo...
Vulnerable
- The male Blue-headed Pitta is often hailed as one of the most spectacularly colored birds in Borneo, earning it the nickname 'Jewel of Borneo's Forests'. - Despite their brilliant plumage, these birds are incredibly shy and elusive, often remaining hidden in dense undergrowth, making sightings ...