Hydrornis gurneyi
The Gurney's Pitta (Hydrornis gurneyi) is an exquisitely patterned and critically endangered songbird. Males are instantly recognizable by their iridescent sky-blue crown-stripe contrasting with a velvety black crown, nape, and face, set against a vibrant blue back and wings, and a distinctive yellow belly heavily barred with black. Females, though equally striking, display a rufous-brown crown, buff throat and belly with fine black barring, and blue on the rump and tail. Measuring approximat...
This elusive pitta primarily inhabits lowland evergreen forests, both primary and mature secondary growth, often favoring areas near streams and typically found at elevations below 150 meters.
The Gurney's Pitta primarily feeds on invertebrates, including earthworms, snails, beetles, various insect larvae, ants, and termites, which it finds by foraging in damp leaf litter and probing the soil.
Gurney's Pitta is a highly secretive and predominantly terrestrial bird, active during the day but rarely seen due to its preference for dense undergrowth. It forages solitarily or in pairs by sifting through leaf litter and probing the damp soil for invertebrates, utilizing its strong bill to un...
Historically, the Gurney's Pitta's range encompassed the lowlands of southern Tenasserim in Myanmar and Peninsular Thailand. However, its distribution has undergone a catastrophic contraction, and it is now known from only a handful of highly fragmented and isolated populations within these regio...
Critically Endangered
- Discovered in 1875 by Allan Octavian Hume in Myanmar, the Gurney's Pitta was considered "lost" to science for over 70 years before its rediscovery in Thailand in 1986. - The male's vivid sky-blue crown-stripe is unique among all pitta species, making it a crucial identification mark. - It is on...