Pittas (Pittidae)

Eared Pitta (Pitta phayrei) - HBW 8, p. 135

French: Brève ornée German: Ohrenpitta Spanish: Pita Orejuda
Other common names: Phayre’s Pitta

Taxonomy: Anthocincla Phayrei Blyth, 1862, Tounghoo, Myanmar.
Sometimes placed in a separate, monotypic genus Anthocincla, and such treatment may indeed be more appropriate; differs from other pittas by shorter legs, slightly decurved and slender bill, and longer hind claw; shows distinctive horn-like “ears”; performs an acoustic display, apparently unparallelled in the family, with wings producing knocking sounds; foraging technique is more static, involving less constant movement about territory. Allegedly darker birds from NE Tonkin sometimes separated as race obscura, but individual variation considerable. Monotypic.

Distribution: NE Bangladesh, and C & SE Myanmar and W, NW & E Thailand E to S China (S Yunnan) and S to Indochina (S Cambodia, C Annam).