Pitta angolensis
TAXONOMY
Pitta angolensis Vieillot, 1816, Angola. Three subspecies recognized.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Angolan pitta; French: Brève d'Angola; German: Angolapitta; Spanish: Pita Africana.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
6.7–8.7 in (17–22 cm); 1.6–3.5 oz (45–98 g). Black head with yellow stripe on side. Whitish under bill to yellow at breast and red under tail. Back and wings are green, with blue and black banding on wings. black tail, and blue on upper tail.
DISTRIBUTION
P. a. longipennis: migratory; breeds in central Tanzania, Malawi, southeast Democratic Republic of Congo, eastern Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly into northern South Africa; nonbreeding migrant in northern Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda, and coastal Kenya. P. a. pulih: West Africa; resident in Sierra Leone lowlands, Ghana, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and coastal Cameroon. P. a. angolensis: West Africa; southern Cameroon, Guinea, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola
HABITAT
Evergreen bush, forest-like thickets along watercourses, and secondary forest; also in tall semi-deciduous and evergreen rainforest; from sea level up to 4,100 ft (1,250 m).
BEHAVIOR
Primarily terrestrial, occurring alone or, especially on breeding grounds, in pairs. Hops rapidly along ground to forage and often flies only a short distance if disturbed before dropping back to the forest floor. Territorial, often singing from the ground or low perch.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Foraging birds stand motionless watching for prey, then hop to a new spot to continue scanning. Periods of scanning are often followed by the pursuit of insects or other invertebrates among the leaf-litter of the forest floor. Food items include ants, termites, beetles, insect larvae, slugs, snails, millipedes, caterpillars, and earthworms.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Appears to breed during the wet season. Nest is an untidy dome, placed 7–26 ft (2–8 m) above the ground, often protected by thorns. Constructed from roots, sticks, twigs, dried leaves, rootlets, and fine fibers. Clutch size usually three, but ranges from one to four. Eggs creamy-white, sometimes greenish or pinkish, with reddish brown and purplish spots and lines over gray-lilac markings, most numerous on widest end.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Common, especially in breeding range of East Africa, but deforestation is probably contributing to habitat loss and reductions in populations.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
