Pitta-like Ground-Roller Atelornis pittoides Scientific name definitions

25–29 cm; male 83–89·5 g, female 87–108 g, unsexed 74–114 g (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Second smallest ground-roller, slender and long-legged. Both sexes distinctive, with cobalt-blue head, black mask, narrow white supercilium bordered at rear above by white-dotted black feathers, feathers of forecrown and central rear crown narrowly edged brown and sparsely dotted white, ­conspicuous white throat bordered with blue; bronzy green upperparts except sky-blue outer tail feathers, dark brown primaries with ­narrow blue-white spot on primary-coverts, and rufous hindcollar that extends to form second breast­band bordering the blue one; flanks rufous-­orange, remaining underparts white; iris dark brown; slender bill blackish, basal nostrils partly concealed by feathers; legs dull pinkish grey, claws pink-grey to blue-grey. Juvenile duller, black- or brown-speckled throat, blue head marked with brownish buff, white markings more buffish, eyestripe buff-spotted brownish, pinkish lower mandible.

E half of Madagascar: from Amber Mountain National Park and Daraina in extreme N to Andohahela National Park and Tsitongambarika Forest in far S, also in NW (Sambirano area) and on Central High Plateau (around Ambohitantely, Ankazomivady, Ankaratra and Kalambatritra Special Reserve), with records from two inshore islands, i.e. Sainte Marie (in 1830s) and Nosy Mangabe (at least in 1980s).

Lowland to high-altitude rainforest, in undisturbed parts with dense herb layer, deep leaf litter and plentiful dead wood, also in drier forest and even secondary forest and plantations next to undisturbed forest; locally also in heavily degraded secondary forest. In study in Ambohitantely Special Reserve, on Central High Plateau, found to occur in forest fragments of between 1250 ha and 28 ha, but not in smaller fragments. Sea-level to 2000 m, but commonest between 800 m and 1600 m.

Generally sedentary, but numbers noted to have changed seasonally with weather in one area and an old record from a garden in Antananarivo is unexplained (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Invertebrates, including ants, beetles, butterflies, cockroaches, other insects, and worms; also small vertebrates, e.g. chameleons and frogs (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Almost exclusively terrestrial feeder, mainly searches the ground for small animals; sometimes stands motionless followed by short runs, then catches insects in quick sally or jump (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Active also at twilight and possibly during night.

Quiet in non-breeding season (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Territorial call a series of penetrating, low- to medium-pitched monosyllabic hoots, “whoop ”, higher and shorter than Geobiastes squamiger but lower and less disyllabic than A. crossleyi (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), lasting c. 0·5 seconds (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), repeated 5–20 times every 3–10 seconds (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) from perch at 0–10 m (usually at 2–3 m) (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), mostly around dawn but also during morning or evening; quiet clucking notes, “kook-kook-kook...”, as contact during foraging; alarm sharp, dry tacking notes and loud scolding hiss, “tac tac tashhhhhhhrr”, or short “trrrrt”, with short low “kowk” when bird is flushed (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Season mainly Oct–Feb, although once observed paired in Sept. Probably monogamous and territorial (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Excavates in sloping earth bank, relatively free of vegetation (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); burrow 0·5–1 m long with diameter 9–10 cm, ending in spherical chamber c. 20 cm wide and lined with dead leaves. Clutch 2–4 shiny white (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) eggs, size 33·1–36·7 mm × 26·7–29·5 mm (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); female incubates, male occasionally feeds her during this period, both parents feed young; incubation and fledging periods undocumented.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in East Malagasy Wet Forests EBA. Previously listed as Near Threatened, but now known to be rather common and widespread, and thought to be commonest member of the family. Present in at least 18 protected areas. Rather patchy distribution, however, and rare or absent from large areas of lowland forest, e.g. Masoala National Park. Although, as with other rainforest brachypteraciids, it suffers from habitat destruction resulting from slash-and-burn agriculture, it is the most common ground-roller in slightly drier or more degraded habitats, and will even tolerate heavily degraded secondary forest; occurs in extremely high densities at certain sites, such as Manambolo Forest (between Ranomafana National Park and Andringitra National Park), particularly in a zone along the river that has been heavily degraded by cattle grazing. Appears, therefore, to be least affected of all ground-rollers by habitat degradation. Subjected to some pressure from hunting and breeding success may be negatively affected by tourism (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), while high levels of parastism by blood parasites may be cause for concern (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Has been successfully bred in captivity since 2006 (1 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).