Hydrornis schwaneri
The Bornean Banded Pitta (Hydrornis schwaneri) is a truly spectacular, medium-sized passerine, instantly recognizable by its vivid plumage and secretive, ground-dwelling nature. Males are particularly striking, featuring a brilliant orange-rufous crown and nape, prominent black eye-stripe, and a stunning array of blue, black, and rufous banding across the underparts, measuring approximately 18-20 cm (7-8 inches) in length and weighing around 75-125 grams. Females, while still attractive, are ...
This pitta primarily inhabits lowland and hill primary rainforests, extending into mature secondary growth, typically found at elevations ranging from sea level up to 1,700 meters.
Its diet primarily consists of insects and other invertebrates, including ants, termites, beetles, caterpillars, and worms, which it gleans from the forest floor and leaf litter.
The Bornean Banded Pitta is a highly secretive and largely solitary diurnal bird, spending most of its time foraging stealthily on the forest floor, where it forages by hopping, scratching, and flicking away leaf litter with its bill to uncover prey. They are strongly territorial, often announcin...
The Bornean Banded Pitta is endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is found throughout Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak and Sabah), Brunei, and Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan). Its distribution is largely contiguous across suitable lowland and hill rainforest habitats, but fragmentation is an increasi...
Vulnerable
- The Bornean Banded Pitta is so elusive that it is often referred to as a 'ghost of the forest,' making a sighting a truly prized event for birdwatchers. - Its dazzling array of colors, particularly in the male, has earned it the nickname 'jewel of the forest floor. - This species was formerly c...