African Pitta Pitta angolensis Scientific name definitions

18–20 cm; male 79–92 g, female 81–98 g. Has black head, broad buffish-ochre supercilium, rear superciliary feathers slightly paler and erectile; upperparts  bright green, rump and tail-coverts sky-blue, tail black; area near shoulder and wing-coverts sky-blue and violet; flight-feathers blackish, tips paler, white patch on primaries; throat white with pink wash, breast and flanks deep buff, often with golden-green wash, belly and undertail-coverts scarlet; iris red-brown to grey-brown; bill black; feet range from pinkish to greyish-white. Sexes alike. Dusky stripes found on green and blue upperparts of 21% of 56 adults examained (both sexes, all races). Differs from P. reichenowi in buff, not green, breast, pinkish throat, brighter green upperparts. Juvenile is much duller and browner than adult, with less blue in plumage, golden-buff supercilium becoming white behind eye, pink belly and vent, orange bill with black central band. Race longipennis is larger, wings longer and more pointed, supercilium unicoloured or almost so, plumage generally brighter and slightly paler; <em>pulih</em> is smallest, supercilium  clearly bicoloured ochre and pale buff, red on belly more extensive, white wing patch smaller, blue in wing-coverts variable.

Closely related to P. reichenowi, and sometimes regarded as conspecific; but see under that species. Three subspecies recognized.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Semi-deciduous and evergreen rainforest, thickets and swampy localities, occasionally deciduous scrub, all with dense undergrowth; non-breeding migrants also in dry subhumid forest with clearings in E Africa (Kenya). Lowlands and hills to 1000 m.

W African populations apparently largely sedentary, but records of race pulih killed at windows on Sierra Leone coast in May and from gardens in coastal Liberia in Oct, as well as others seen at artificial lights in Nigeria, suggest possible local movements or true migration; similarly, records of nominate race from towns in Congo and W Zaire during May–Jun and Oct may relate to migrants, possibly birds which breed in N Angola in Nov and move N for dry season. E African longipennis is chiefly a long-distance intratropical migrant, spending non-breeding season from Apr to Oct in equatorial region from S Central African Republic, N & NE Zaire, Uganda and S Kenya S to N Tanzania; regular migrant at L Kivu, in E Zaire, and at Kilima Tea Factory, in S Tanzania, 15 birds ringed during 1982–83 and 40 ringed between third week Apr and early May 1984; some probably migrate up to 2000 km. Migrates at night; frequently attracted to lights. Vagrants recorded N to S Ethiopia and S to SE South Africa.

Insects, including termites (Isoptera), ants, beetles, caterpillars and grubs; also snails, and earthworms and millipedes (Diplopoda). Forages on the ground among leaf litter, especially near ant and termite nests. Stands motionless for up to 5 minutes, watching for prey, before moving in long hops to a nearby spot; also flicks aside leaves with bill, or sweeps aside leaf litter with bill and then pauses briefly to scan ground, holding head to one side in manner of a thrush (Turdidae). When prey located, makes forward lunge to seize it with the bill.

Similar to many Asian members of the genus, presence of the ground-dwelling African Pitta is typically revealed by voice. This species however is only vocal during a small part of the year, and most of our knowledge about voice is restricted to the migratory East African race longipennis.

Vocal Development

Little is known. Nestlings in Liberia gave a soft plaintive note "pi’-u", like a cat’s mew (1 Allen, G.M. (1930). The birds of Liberia. Pp. 636-748 in: Strong, R.P. ed. (1930). The African Republic of Liberia and the Belgian Congo; Based on Material Collected During the Harvard African Expedition 1926-1927. Contributions from the Department of Tropical Medicine and the Institute for Tropical Biology and Medicine 5. 2 Vols. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Close ), elsewhere described as a thin, long drawn-out whistle (2 Keith, G. S., E. K. Urban and C. H. Fry. (1992). The birds of Africa. Vol. 4. London: Academic Press. Close ). In general however, nestlings are said to be very quiet (3 Lambert, F.R. and Woodcock, M. (1996). Pittas, Broadbills and Asities. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ).

Vocal Array

Territorial display call. A short emphatic rising whistle "wheet" or "hueet", uttered simultaneously with a double beat from the wings during a display jump. The combination sounding like "prrwheet". The whistle starts at c 1000Hz, rises to c 2000Hz and has a duration of 0.14‒0.19s (4 Boesman, P. (2016). Notes on the vocalizations of Green-breasted Pitta (Pitta reichenowi) and African Pitta (Pitta angolensis). HBW Alive Ornithological Note 44. Close ). Intervals between subsequent display jumps last about 10‒20s, and such series may be repeated for long periods up to 30 minutes. A rare variant of this vocalisation includes an additional introductory whistle "wup-prrwheet" (5 Stjernstedt, R. (2008). Sounds of Zambian Wildlife. Salthouse: WildSounds. DVD-ROM featuring over 600 species. ISBN 9-78189866-518-2. Close )

Grrk. A subdued gruff croak or grunt. During observations in southern Zambia, territorial display call was often answered immediately by the other member of the pair by either a double or single gruff note (PFB). This vocalisation is also given by single birds, and presumably is the same vocalisation that can be heard during nocturnal migration. The similarity in these different circumstances is unclear, as very few sound recordings of this vocalization exist.

Other. Captive birds have been heard to utter a brief winnying, a low-pitched querulous "skeeow" and a grunt (2 Keith, G. S., E. K. Urban and C. H. Fry. (1992). The birds of Africa. Vol. 4. London: Academic Press. Close ), the latter possibly matching the "Grrk" call. A husky "hggg" may be given in alarm.

Geographic Variation

Voice of the race pulih is little known. Based on existing sound recordings, its display call differs from longipennis in lacking the synchronous delivery of whistle and double beat, while the double beat is also lower-pitched (a more hollow "k'duk"). These features place it closer to Green-breasted Pitta Pitta reichenowi, and knowledge of pulih’s undocumented whistle during display would facilitate further taxonomic interpretation.

Phenology

Displaying starts soon after arrival on the breeding grounds (longipennis), and may be triggered by the first rains. First display calls were heard mid November in the Luangwa valley of Zambia (3 Lambert, F.R. and Woodcock, M. (1996). Pittas, Broadbills and Asities. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ), on 26 November In the Zambezi valley (6 Hustler, K. and Ndlovu, B. (2001). Habitat requirements and densities of the African Pitta in Zimbabwe. Honeyguide. 47(1): 17-21. Close ), or started in November and lasted for two weeks in Zimbabwe (7 Cizek, A. (2004). African Pitta breeding in the Honde Valley. Honeyguide 50:53. Close ). Such calling is most intense during this initial period, and soon diminishes when incubation starts (both male and female incubate, switching twice a day, which may explain the rather abrupt silence). By mid December vocal activity is greatly reduced, and by the end of January birds turn silent. The time window in which the display call can be heard is thus exceptionally short. Outside the breeding season, birds are usually silent (8 Zimmerman, D. A., D. A. Turner, and D. J. Pearson (1996). Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Daily Pattern of Vocalizing

Displaying may start pre-dawn, and is typically concentrated during the first hours of the morning and again in the evening. We also witnessed virtual silence in early morning during heavy rain, with sudden vocal activity when rains stopped mid-morning (PFB).

Places of Vocalizing

Display calls are uttered from a fixed perch, often a (near) horizontal branch at low level (between 1m and 6m height 6 Hustler, K. and Ndlovu, B. (2001). Habitat requirements and densities of the African Pitta in Zimbabwe. Honeyguide. 47(1): 17-21. Close ). Such branches, typically in deep shade under the canopy, are normally bare providing full visibility of the bird and allowing display performance (diameter approximately 4—10cm). Display posts are close to the nest, or at the edge of a pair's territory. Other calls are usually uttered when on the ground. Low croaks given by flying migrants circling in mist are also described (9 Keith, S., Urban, E.K. and Fry, C.H. (1992). The Birds of Africa. Vol. 4. Academic Press, London & San Diego, California. Close ).

Sex Differences

Sexes are alike, and consequently little is known about vocal differences. In general, for members of the Pitta family, it is said that both sexes have a similar repertoire.

Social Content and Presumed Functions of Vocalizations

Territorial display call of one bird may trigger a second bird occupying another territory to vocalize within human hearing distance (PFB). During an extensive survey, playing the display call resulted in response at all times of the day and from the end of November till the middle of January. Response was always close or very close to the playback source, and vigorous when close to the nest site (6 Hustler, K. and Ndlovu, B. (2001). Habitat requirements and densities of the African Pitta in Zimbabwe. Honeyguide. 47(1): 17-21. Close ). Other sources report aggressive behaviour between members of neighbouring territories where these meet.

Territorial display call is a unique combination of a rising whistle with a double beat, that is made by the wings while jumping 15-45cm above the perch. This double beat consists of two nearly identical beats delivered very fast (beat duration c 0.04s with an interval of similar duration, pitch c 500Hz, for longipennis 4 Boesman, P. (2016). Notes on the vocalizations of Green-breasted Pitta (Pitta reichenowi) and African Pitta (Pitta angolensis). HBW Alive Ornithological Note 44. Close ) and is often transcribed as "prrt" (3 Lambert, F.R. and Woodcock, M. (1996). Pittas, Broadbills and Asities. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ). The sound is apparently generated by fully spreading the wings horizontally followed by fast contraction. Interestingly, the double beat of pulih is not synchronised with a whistle, and is lower-pitched, features which place it closer to Green-breasted Pitta Pitta reichenowi.

In W Africa, breeds in Sept in Sierra Leone, Mar–Sept in Liberia, Jul in Ghana, Sept–Oct in Cameroon, Nov in Angola; in E, Nov–Apr in Tanzania and mostly to Feb farther S. Maintains territory of 3000–3600 m². Domed nest 25 × 35 × 20 cm, with side entrance 7–8 cm wide and sometimes with platform in front, built of dead leaves, some skeletonized, and twigs, often with spines, and lined with finer twigs, rootlets and tendrils, the whole rather untidy and loosely built; placed 2–8 m up in usually thorny tree. Clutch 3 eggs, occasionally 1 or 4, dull creamy white with irregular dark brown, grey-brown and underlying grey-lilac spots, blotches and scrawls, most at blunter end, average size in Zambia c. 27 × 23 mm; no information on incubation and fledging periods.

Not globally threatened. Locally common to scarce or rare. Not uncommon in parts of Zambia and Zimbabwe; minimum of 6 pairs found in 28 ha of forest in Zambezi Valley, giving density of c. 43 birds/km². In non-breeding range, common at Gedi, in SE Kenya, in Aug 1975, but few records from Kenya and N Tanzania since 1983. True status, however, is difficult to assess owing to this pitta’s shyness and skulking behaviour; most reports from E Africa involve nocturnal migrants colliding with windows, but frequency of such reports suggests that it must still be locally common. Status of more sedentary W African populations little known; rare in Sierra Leone and Liberia; uncommon and local in SW Nigeria and Ivory Coast; rare in Ghana; common in Korup National Park, in Cameroon. Habitat destruction and fragmentation could represent a major problem, especially in W Africa. Only rarely seen in the cagebird trade.