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Pittas (Pittidae)

Banded Pitta (Pitta guajana) - HBW 8, p. 141

French: Brève azurine German: Bindenpitta Spanish: Pita Barrada
Other common names: Blue-tailed Pitta; Irene/Van den Bosch’s Pitta (irena)

Taxonomy: Turdus Guajanus Statius Muller, 1776, Banjuwangi, eastern Java.
On basis mainly of longer, graduated tail, sometimes placed in separate genus Eucichla, along with P. elliotii and P. gurneyi, and on occasion P. cyanea. Significant geographical differences in coloration and voice; race schwaneri possibly a separate species; the two W races may together form another species, in which ripleyi perhaps represents only a clinal extreme of irena; further study needed. Birds from W Java often recognized as race affinis, but considered generally inseparable from nominate. In addition, described race bangkae.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Turdus Guajanus Statius Muller, 1776, Banjuwangi, eastern Java.
On basis mainly of longer, graduated tail, sometimes placed in separate genus Eucichla, along with P. elliotii and P. gurneyi, and on occasion P. cyanea. Significant geographical differences in coloration and voice; race schwaneri possibly a separate species; the two W races may together form another species, in which ripleyi perhaps represents only a clinal extreme of irena; further study needed. Birds from W Java often recognized as race affinis, but considered generally inseparable from nominate. In addition, described race bangkae, supposedly from Bangka I, is thought to have been named from a mislabelled specimen originating probably from W Java. Four subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • ripleyi Deignan, 1946 - S peninsular Thailand.
  • irena Temminck, 1836 - Peninsular Malaysia (Perlis S to Johor) and Sumatra.
  • schwaneri Bonaparte, 1850 - Borneo.
  • guajana (Statius Muller, 1776) - Java and Bali.

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