Blue-naped Pitta Hydrornis nipalensis Scientific name definitions

22–25 cm; 110–132 g. Male has uniformly dull olive-green upperparts, tail with faint blue tinge; head rufous to buffish with black postocular stripe, hindcrown, nape and a variable part of upper mantle bright turquoise-blue; wings brown, edged buffish brown; underparts cinnamon-buff, often with pinkish wash on chin and upper throat, latter with broken black band(s); iris brown; bill brown; feet brownish flesh. Female differs in having hindcrown and nape green, upperparts more brown. Dusky stripes found on upperparts of 34% of 122 adults examined (both sexes, both races). Juvenile is dark brown, mixed with pale buffish streaks on crown, buffish and white spots on body except for white belly. Race hendeei is smaller, typically with smaller blue patch on nape, although this feature appears to be somewhat variable.

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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.

Tropical and subtropical secondary forest, bamboo growth and clearings with dense vegetation, usually near water; on limestone rock in N Annam and in riparian woodland and swamp-forest in India. Occurs in lowlands but more often at higher elevation; mostly to c. 1500 m, but reported to 2150 m.

Call  a sharp and powerful “chow-whit”, “uk-wuip” or “ip-wuiip”; soft chuckle exchanged by partners when feeding.

Laying Apr–Aug, mostly May–Jun; double-brooding reported. Domed nest with side entrance, rather loosely built from bamboo leaves, grass and roots, and placed on ground, or more tidily constructed and placed low down in bush or tree. Clutch 3–5 eggs, creamy white with some red-brown spots and underlying grey-lilac markings, mean size in India 29·5 mm × 22·4 mm; both sexes incubate and both care for young.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Very little information available. Fairly common in Bhutan, but scarce in Nepal and Sikkim. Few recent records in India, though locally quite common in Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh; rare non-breeding visitor in Kaziranga National Park, in Assam. Scarce to uncommon in Myanmar and Tonkin, and the species is definitely known to occur at just one locality in Vietnam, Tam Dao National Park, although it has also been reported from Pu Mat National Park (1 Sa-Ar, I., Sargeant, D.E., Tonsakulrungruang, K. and Su-Angka, N. (2016). Review of records of Blue-naped Pitta Pitta nipalensis hendeei in Thailand, with notes on records from Vietnam and the Lao PDR. BirdingASIA. 26: 67–70. Close ); locally common at Nam Theun drainage basin in C Laos, but scarce in N Laos. Status of S Chinese population uncertain, probably rare at best. Recently (2009) discovered in N Thailand, in Phu Suan Sai National Park, where the species has been observed and sound recorded on several subsequent occasions; might also occur in nearby Phu Soi Dao National Park (1 Sa-Ar, I., Sargeant, D.E., Tonsakulrungruang, K. and Su-Angka, N. (2016). Review of records of Blue-naped Pitta Pitta nipalensis hendeei in Thailand, with notes on records from Vietnam and the Lao PDR. BirdingASIA. 26: 67–70. Close ). Because of its skulking and secretive behaviour, this species’ status is not easy to assess. Judging from the literature and the large number of birds collected in earlier times, it was more common in first half of 20th century. No reports of hunting or of trapping for the cagebird trade. Monitoring of populations considered desirable.