Malayan Banded Pitta
Hydrornis irena
The Malayan Banded Pitta (Hydrornis irena) is a rare pitta found in 3 countries, weighing about 82 g. The Malayan banded pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae.
About the Malayan Banded Pitta
The Malayan banded pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. Other common names include the blue-tailed pitta, the Irene's pitta, the banded pitta and the Van den Bosch's pitta. It is found in Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Bornean and Javan banded pittas, together they were referred to as the banded pitta, but now they are considered to be separate species.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This colourful bird has a black head with a yellow/orange streak above the eye, an orange-red nape, a lemon-yellow throat, a chest barred with orange and dark blue (more orange towards the sides and more blue towards the centre), and a blue belly. The back is brown and the tail is blue.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Malayan Banded Pitta?
- This colourful bird has a black head with a yellow/orange streak above the eye, an orange-red nape, a lemon-yellow throat, a chest barred with orange and dark blue (more orange towards the sides and more blue towards the centre), and a blue belly. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Malayan Banded Pitta?
- The Malayan Banded Pitta is a medium sized bird weighing about 82 g.
- Where can you see a Malayan Banded Pitta?
- The Malayan Banded Pitta occurs in 3 countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
- What birds look similar to a Malayan Banded Pitta?
- The Malayan Banded Pitta is most easily confused with the Bornean Banded Pitta.
- Is the Malayan Banded Pitta endangered?
- The Malayan Banded Pitta is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Malayan Banded Pitta for real
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