Blue-tailed pitta
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The blue-tailed pitta(Hydrornis irena) or Malayan banded pitta is a representative of the medium-sized family of pittas (Pittidae), to which around 30 species belong. It is found in the rainforests of South-East Asia, on the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra.
This pitta species, which measures between 20 cm and 23 cm, is particularly striking because of its bright yellow to orange-coloured head and blue-coloured belly and tail. The females are somewhat less conspicuous in their pattern and have a somewhat stockier shape.
The blue-tailed pitta was only recognised as a separate species a few years ago. Previously, it was grouped with the banded pitta and the borneo banded pitta into one species, which are now also separate species.
The diet of perhaps the most colourful of all pittas consists mainly of insects such as beetles, caterpillars, termites and ants. However, the diet also includes other invertebrates such as snails and worms or various berries and fruits. The blue-tailed pitta searches for its prey on the rainforest floor, where it digs for food with its feet in a similar way to chickens.
The blue-tailed pitta breeds between March and December. It builds a well-camouflaged, round to oval-shaped nest of leaves, grass and branches at a height of 1 metre to 2 metres. The female lays between two and five white eggs, which are typically brown or red-spotted. Incubation is shared between the monogamous parents. The young hatch after around 13 days and fledge after a further 15 days.
Due to habitat destruction and animal trade, the number of blue-tailed pittas living in the wild has fallen sharply in recent years. However, thanks to several national parks in Thailand and Indonesia, this species is fortunately not yet threatened with extinction.