Giant pitta (Pitta caerulea to Hydrornis caeruleus) is found from southern SE Asia south into Malaysia and then east into Borneo. However, it is probably no longer found in Sumatra. This 10 to 11 inch plus pitta is sexually dimorphic. The male has blue wings and a pale breast. He has a pale face and neck with a black cape. Both sexes have a pale narrow dark ring around the neck. The female is similar, but her cape is brown, and her wings are also brown.
There are two subspecies:
The nominate form is found in southern SE Asia south to Malaysia and west into Sumatra.
The pitta genus (Pitta) is found primarily in the region of SE Asia to New Guinea. There are about 32 species. However, there are two African species. These are typically small quite colorful ground birds capable of flight. The tails are usually very short. They feed mostly on crawling insects.
Recently, some scientists have started using the genus Erythropitta for several species. Additionally, several subspecies of the Philippine pitta which now belongs in the Erythropitta genus have been raised to species status.
Pittas (Pittidae) are a group of about 31 species of birds found from SE Asia and the Philippines south through Indonesia past New Guinea to the Solomon Islands and Australia. Two species are found in Africa. These are usually vividly colored birds that feed on insects. They usually are found on the ground in dense forests. The legs are long and are adapted to running.
Although there is no agreement among bird taxonomists as to the placement of the Pittidae (Pittas)(30 species, 32 in Clements in 2007) and the Pipridae (Manakins) (48 species, recently to 58 species per Clements in 2007), we have tentatively placed these two families near each other in the larger Pittidae super family.
Clements in 2007 in his world check list counted 32 species in the Pitta family. Furthermore, he placed all the species in this family into a common genus entitled "Pitta". However, in some more recent field guides, we note that this genus has been divided to include the genera Hydrornis, Erythropitta, and Pitta.
In most modern bird taxonomies, the perching birds (Passeriformes) is treated as a single order. This large order has about 5739 different species. A common characteristic of this order is three forward toes and one reverse pointing toe. Most of species are also characterized by a tendon locking mechanism that permits their feet to lock onto branches when they relax. Recently, Monroe and Sibley in 1993 have divided this large order into six main divisions. To help our users navigate this gigantic number of species, we have arbitrarily placed these 6 different divisions at the order level.
This division can properly be referred to as:
Order Passseriformes (5739 species)
Suborder Tyranni (1159 species)
Infraorder Eurylaimides (49 species)Broadbills, Pipits, and relatives (Suborder Eurylaimides) can be divided into several different groups: The broadbills (Eurylaimidae), the pipits (Pittidae), and the Asities (Philepittidae). Most authors give each of these groups family status. Others place them in a suborder Tyrannides. Herein, we place these three groups into an suborder entitled Eurylaimides.
Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000. Birdlife recognizes 10,027 species as of 2011.
However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.
Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.
The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.
For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago. However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.
When this project was begun in 1978, we used Austin & Singer for bird taxonomy. Since then, we have adopted many changes, but have kept some older concepts that are still found widely in the literature. Recently, we have used Clements and Howard & Moore. Very recently, we have used Monroe and Sibley for the higher taxonomy of the perching birds.
Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.
Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.
Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
