Key Identification Features
- Its wings are green with a golden sheen, and feature a shining blue patch on the lesser wing coverts, while the flight feathers and underwing are black.
- This colourful bird, Hydrornis irena, commonly known as the Malayan banded pitta, has distinct marked plumage.
- It is more often heard than seen, and has a distinctive loud two-note whistle: wheeet-tieu, wieet-pyou, or occasionally a triple note hh-wit-wiyu.
- The Indian pitta is the basal member of a distinct clade that includes many Oriental species.
For instant identification in the field, use the iNature app — AI-powered, works offline.
