Hydrornis


Hydrornis is a genus of pitta in the family Pittidae. The genus contains thirteen species, found in South-east Asia. The genus was formerly merged with the genus Pitta, but a 2006 study split the family into three genera.

Taxonomy

The pittas were at one time all usually placed in the genus Pitta, the only genus in the family Pittidae, but when a 2006 molecular phylogenetic study found that the pittas formed three separate groups, the genus was split and some species were moved into two resurrected genera, Erythropitta and Hydrornis. The genus Hydrornis had been introduced by the English zoologist Edward Blyth in 1843 with the blue-naped pitta as the type species. The name Hydrornis combines the Ancient Greek words hudōr "water" and ornis "bird".
The pittas in Hydrornis have sexually dimorphic plumage, a feature that is absent for all other pittas. Also for those species that have been studied, the juveniles have a spotted cryptic plumage.

Species

The genus contains 13 species:
ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Hydrornis phayreiEared pittaSoutheast Asia.
Hydrornis nipalensisBlue-naped pittaBangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam.
Hydrornis sororBlue-rumped pittaCambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam
Hydrornis oatesiRusty-naped pittaChina, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Hydrornis schneideriSchneider's pittaSumatra in Indonesia
Hydrornis caeruleusGiant pittaBrunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.
Hydrornis baudiiBlue-headed pittaBorneo-
Hydrornis cyaneusBlue pittaBangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Hydrornis elliotiiBar-bellied pittaCambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam
Hydrornis gurneyiGurney's pittaMalay Peninsula
Hydrornis guajanusJavan banded pittaJava and Bali
Hydrornis irenaMalayan banded pittaThailand, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra.
Hydrornis schwaneriBornean banded pittaBorneo