Pitta elegans

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Telluraves
Cladus: Australaves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Tyranni
Infraordo: Eurylaimides
Superfamilia: Pittoidea

Familia: Pittidae
Genus: Pitta
Species: Pitta elegans
Subspecies: P. e. elegans – P. e. maria – P. e. virginalis
Name

Pitta elegans Temminck, 1836
References

Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux livr.100: pl.591, text.
IOC vs. 11.1.

Vernacular names
العربية: بيتا أنيق
català: Pita elegant
Cymraeg: Pita cain
Deutsch: Schmuckpitta
English: Elegant Pitta
español: Pita Elegante
فارسی: پیتای الگانس
suomi: Kaunopitta
français: Brève élégante
magyar: Ékszerpitta
Bahasa Indonesia: Paok laus
italiano: Pitta elegante
日本語: インドネシアノドグロヤイロチョウ
Nederlands: Ornaatpitta
پنجابی: اشناک نورنگا
русский: Стройная питта
svenska: Praktjuveltrast
Tiếng Việt: Đuôi cụt Elegant
中文: 华丽八色鸫

The elegant pitta (Pitta elegans) is a species of passerine bird in the pitta family Pittidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found in the Lesser Sunda Islands and Moluccas.
Taxonomy and subspecies distribution

The elegant pitta was described and illustrated by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1836 from a specimen collected on the island of Timor. Temminck coined the binomial name Pitta elegans.[2][3]

The elegant pitta has sometimes been treated as a subspecies of the Indian pitta (P. brachyura), noisy pitta (P. versicolor) or blue-winged pitta (P. moluccensis).[4]

Four subspecies are recognised:[5]

P. e. virginalis Hartert, 1896 – the small islands of Tanahjampea, Kalaotoa, and Kalao (between Sulawesi and Flores)
P. e. hutzi Meise, 1942 – island of Nusa Penida (southeast of Bali)
P. e. maria Hartert, 1896 – island of Sumba (south Lesser Sundas)
P. e. elegans Temminck, 1836 – island of Timor and surrounding islands

Three other subspecies have been described but are now lumped in the preceding subspecies.[4]
Distribution and habitat

It is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands and Moluccas in Indonesia. It is reported as also being found in East Timor by some authors,[1] but the species has only been recorded on the western half of the island, in spite of suitable habitat.[6] Its natural habitats are tropical dry forests and tropical moist lowland forests.[4]

The nominate race is found in Timor, Semau, and Kisar. P. e. maria is found on Sumba, and P. e. concinna is found on Flores, Lombok and nearby islands. P. e. virginalis is found on Tanahjampea, Kalao and Kalaotoa, to the south of Sulawesi[4]
Description
The belly of the elegant pitta is red.

The elegant pitta is 19 cm (7.5 in) long and weighs 47–77 g (1.7–2.7 oz). It has a black head, throat, chin and neck with a buff crown stripe. The upperparts are dark green, as are most of the wings, which also have a bright turquoise patch on the lesser coverts. The rump is turquoise-blue and the tail is black with a green tip. The underparts are mostly warm buff, with the centre black with a red patch below. The sexes are similar.[4]
References

BirdLife International (2018). "Pitta elegans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22698694A130191752. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22698694A130191752.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
Temminck, Coenraad Jacob (1836). Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: F.G. Levrault. Plate 591, Fig. 2 Folio 100. The 5 volumes were originally issued in 102 parts, 1820-1839
Traylor, Melvin A. Jr, ed. (1979). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 8. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 328.
Eritzoe, J.; de Juana, E. (2018). del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David A.; de Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Elegant Pitta (Pitta elegans)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "NZ wrens, broadbills & pittas". World Bird List Version 8.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
Trainor, C.R.; Santana, F.; Pinto, P.; Xavier, A.F.; Safford, R.; Grimmett, R. (2008). "Birds, birding and conservation in Timor-Leste". BirdingASIA. 9: 16–45.