Fun Hooded Pitta Facts For Kids
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The family Pittidae comprises the most colorful birds that can be discovered in Asia, Africa, and Australasia. These passerines are acknowledged for their stocky figure, long legs, and colorful plumage.
They are mostly tropical but some species dwell in more temperate regions as well.
The hooded pitta bird is one of the species of the Pitta genus identified for its green plumage, chestnut crown, and black head inhabiting East and Southeast Asia. One of their unique features is that, unlike other Passerines, these birds construct their nest on the ground and are extremely territorial.
Philipp Statius Müller, a German zoologist, named this species Turdus sordidus in 1776.
The western hooded pitta bird has 12 recognized subspecies based on the region in which they are found. There are no major threats that are faced by the species, however, this may vary according to subspecies, but overall they have a stable population.
Do you wish to learn more interesting facts about the hooded pittas? Go ahead and keep reading this article for more fascinating facts below.
If you like this article then check our other articles on Indian pitta facts and African pitta facts!
Hooded Pitta Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a hooded pitta?
The hooded pitta is a type of pitta bird with bright and colorful plumage that predominantly lives in the eastern and southeastern regions of Asia. It is of three types based on the region and has 12 subspecies.
What class of animal does a hooded pitta belong to?
The hooded pitta bird belongs to the class of Aves, the family Pittidae, and the genus Pitta.
The hooded pitta bird is known to have 12 recognized subspecies namely Pitta sordida cucullata, Pitta sordida mulleri, Pitta sordida abbotti, Pitta sordida bangkana, Pitta sordida palawanensis, Pitta sordida sordida, Pitta sordida forsteni, Pitta sordida sanghirana, Pitta sordida mefoorana, Pitta sordida goodfellowi, Pitta sordida novaeguineae, and Pitta sordida rosenbergii.
How many hooded pittas are there in the world?
The hooded pitta bird is not under currently any threat. However, the total number of hooded pittas present in the world is not yet estimated.
Where does a hooded pitta live?
The hooded pitta's range map and distribution is enormous. Overall the hooded pitta bird is largely found in the eastern and southeastern parts of Asia.
The Pitta sordida cucullata can be observed near Himachal Pradesh in India, northern Chinese provinces, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and even in Sumatra and Java where they migrate. The Pitta sordida mulleri is found in the south of Thailand, Malaysia, Sulu Island, Sumatra, and Java.
The Pitta sordida abbotti is native to the Andaman and Nicobar Island. Pitta sordida bangkana is a resident of Belitung Island, Bangka and Indonesia.
Pitta sordida sordida is also discovered in the Sulu Island along with the Philippines. The Pitta sordida palawanensis is limited within the territories of Palawan. The Pitta sordida forsteni though dwells in Indonesia, Sulawesi and Minahasa yet it is scarcely known over there.
The Pitta sordida sanghirana prefers the range of Sangihe Island, Indonesia and Sulawesi. The Pitta sordida mefoorana is a native species of the Geelvink Bay.
The Pitta sordida goodfellowi even though it is a native species of the Aru Islands yet it can be found in New Guinea. The last is Pitta sordida rosenbergii, which can only be found on Biak Island.
What is a hooded pitta's habitat?
The primary habitat of the hooded pitta bird is forested regions. All the subspecies inhabit the forests, lowlands, montane rainforest, plantations, and cultivated areas. These birds are migratory and may shift from one habitat to the other.
Who do hooded pittas live with?
The hooded pitta is mostly a solitary species that forages on the ground.
How long does a hooded pitta live?
The average lifespan of the hooded pitta bird is currently unknown.
How do they reproduce?
The breeding period of the hooded pitta depends on the region in which they live. In India, the breeding season begins in August, in Thailand and Malaysia, it is from May to October, and in Java and Borneo, it is from December to May.
While the breeding season in Sumatra is from March to May, in Sulawesi it is from February to June, and in the Philippines, it is from May to June. Both the male and female birds construct a new nest on the ground within three to eight days.
After breeding successfully and the female lays two to five eggs. The incubation period is approximately 12-16 days and both male and female pittas incubate the eggs.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the hooded pitta bird according to IUCN is of Least Concern. They may be common in few places while sparse in others.
Although this status of the bird species is based on an overall aspect yet the status of certain subspecies is not known. The habitat loss in the Philippines has affected the population of the hooded pitta birds but they have succeeded in adapting themselves to the changed habitat.
Hooded Pitta Fun Facts
What do hooded pittas look like?
The Hooded Pitta bird is a small passerine of the Pittidae family with a body length of 6.3-7.5 in (16-19 cm). All the subspecies is the more or less same size and have minor distinguishable feature.
These birds have been identified for their unusual appearance it has a black head, throat, and chin while the rest of their body is dark green.
There is a blue speck on their wing coverts. The tail is black with blue tips while their breast is a combination of blue and green.
There is a large black belly patch and their under tail coverts are red.
The subspecies of the hooded pitta bird may vary insignificantly for example the Pitta sordida mulleri of Sumatra does not have any black patch on their belly while Pitta sordida sordida of the Philippines has a more prominent black patch on their belly. The Pitta sordida cucullata have significantly longer plumage than the rest of the birds.
How cute are they?
All the hooded pitta bird subspecies are vibrant and colorful birds hence they look really cute.
How do they communicate?
There are different types of calls that hooded pitta birds produce and also it depends on the region. The Hooded Pitta bird of the Philippines generates a one-second-long ‘waup waup’ call while the birds of New Guinea generate a three-second long call.
How big is a hooded pitta?
A hooded pitta is roughly 6.3-7.5 in (16-19 cm), slightly smaller than the African pitta which is 7-7.8 in (18–20 cm).
How fast can a hooded pitta move?
The speed of hooded pitta birds is not yet listed.
How much does a hooded pitta weigh?
The weight of a hooded pitta bird is around 1.5-2.5 oz (42-70 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no sex-specific names for hooded pitta birds.
What would you call a baby hooded pitta?
After the breeding period, the female bird lays two to five eggs in the nest that is made on the ground and the newborn pittas are called chicks, nestlings, and fledglings during their different phases.
What do they eat?
Hooded pittas are insectivores which implies that their diet mainly consists of insects. However, the choice of insects that constitute their diet depends on their habitat. Cockroaches, ants, termites, earthworms, beetles, and snails play an important role in their diet.
Are they dangerous?
No, hooded pitta birds are not dangerous.
Would they make a good pet?
Hooded pitta birds are kept in various zoos, although solitary in nature they can get along with other birds. However, they can be aggressive towards other pitta bids, particularly during the breeding season.
Did you know...
The hooded pitta bird was the first name by a German zoologist as Turdus sordidus.
The young hooded pitta birds are paler than the adults and have reddish-brown foreheads with grayish pink feet. The color of their plumage changes once they start evolving.
How many types of pitta are there?
The genus Pitta of the family Pittidae consists of almost sixteen species of Pitta birds. The genus consisted of 31 species, however, a study in 2006 split few bird species from the genus. Even after the split, all the birds under the family Pittidae are classified as Pittas.
What is a pitta bird called in English?
The Indian pitta bird was recognized as Ponnunky pitta in England. It was the name given based on an illustration conveyed by Edward Bulkley.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our eastern whipbird facts and grey-faced buzzard facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable exotic bird coloring pages.
Main image by J.J. Harrison.
Second image by Jason Thompson.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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