Justification This beautiful pitta has been downlisted to Endangered, owing to the discovery of a large population in Myanmar. However, its situation remains precarious since it occpies flat, low-lying forest which is targeted for development for oil palm plantations. It has therefore been retained as Endangered, as a precautionary measure owing to an anticipated very rapid population reduction as a result of land clearance.

Family/Sub-family Pittidae

Species name author Hume, 1875

Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 18.5-20.5 cm. Unmistakable pitta with blue crown and black-and-yellow underparts. Black forecrown and head-sides, yellow underparts with black centre of breast and belly, black undertail-coverts and black barred flanks. Warm dark brown rest of upperside, deep blue tail tinged turquoise. Female has buffy-brown crown and nape, blackish-brown sides of head with paler streaks, whitish throat and pale buffy-whitish remainder of underparts with dark bars. Juvenile has dark brown crown, nape, breast and upper belly with buff streaks and, initially, fleshy-orange bill base and tip. Voice Sings with short explosive lilip.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

10,000 - 17,200

decreasing

2,400 km²

No

Range & population Pitta gurneyi occurs in peninsular Thailand and adjacent southern Tenasserim, Myanmar. Formerly common across much of its range, there were no field observations in Thailand between 1952 and 1986. Since 1986, intensive surveys have found it in at least five localities, although it has disappeared from all but one of these, Khao Nor Chuchi. This population has declined from 44-45 pairs in 1986 to just nine pairs in 1997, most of which are outside protected-area boundaries. A search for it in Myanmar in 2003 was successful and discovered the species at four sites with a maximum of 10-12 pairs at one location^1,2. It was found to be not uncommon at some sites, and on the basis of previously reported population densities and extent of suitable habitat, the population was estimated to be 5,152-8,586 pairs².

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It occurs in secondary, regenerating, lowland semi-evergreen forest, usually below 160 m in flat areas with slopes less than ten degrees, with understoreys containing Salacca palms, in which it nests. Territories are centred on gulley systems where moist conditions prevail year-round, usually with access to water, and often close to forest edge. It breeds during the wet season, April-October.

Threats The key reason for its decline has been the almost total clearance of lowland forest in southern Myanmar and peninsular Thailand through clear-felling for timber, unofficial logging and conversion to croplands, fruit orchards, coffee, rubber and oil-palm plantations. By 1987, only 20-50 km² of forest below 100 m remained in peninsular Thailand and this area continues to decline. The rate and extent of conversion of flat forest to oil palm plantation in Myanmar in the next ten years is open to speculation, but most land is already assigned to plantation and, were foreign companies to become more involved, it could become very rapid³. An added complication is that future deforestation rates will also be strongly influenced by internal politics in the region and the strength of the insurgency groups⁴. In Thailand at least, snare-line trapping for the cage-bird trade is also a serious threat.

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix I. Following its rediscovery in Thailand, a series of breeding season censuses were conducted, from 1987-1989, to locate and quantify populations in peninsular Thailand. The most important of these, Khao Nor Chuchi, was designated a Non-Hunting Area in 1987, and upgraded to a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1993. The Khao Nor Chuchi Lowland Forest Project was established in 1990 and engaged the local community in participatory management, education programmes and ecotourism, to help reduce pressure on remaining forest. However, this has met with limited success as economic incentives continue to govern land-use decisions. A project in Myanmar aimed at conserving remaining lowland forest in southern Tenasserim will commence in 2004. There are currently no protected areas in this region¹, but the proposed Lenya National Park would protect a large area of suitable habitat³.

Conservation measures proposed Monitor population trends through regular surveys at known sites. Monitor rates of habitat loss and degradation within the species's known range. Monitor levels of trapping. Establish and effectively protect Lenya National Park as a matter of urgency. Extend strict protected area status to all remaining suitable habitat currently outside Khao Nor Chuchi Wildlife Sanctuary boundaries. Establish an in situ protection unit with direct responsibility for safeguarding all remaining habitat, to facilitate cooperation with sanctuary officials and strengthen management and community participation.

References BirdLife International (2001). 1. BirdLife International (2003). 2. Eames et al. (2005). 3. J. Eames in litt. (2007). 4. P. Donald in litt. (2007).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Pete Davidson (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Nic Peet (BirdLife International), Joe Tobias (BirdLife International)

Contributors Paul Donald (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), Jonathan C Eames (BirdLife International in Indochina), Tony Htin Hla

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Mike Crosby (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Pitta gurneyi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums