Habitat
Dense lowland evergreen forest. From sea-level - 600 m. Also secondary and heavily logged forest, particularly in swampy areas, provided that dense understory growth and some canopy cover remains.
Brunei Darussalam (B) (NB), Indonesia (B) (NB), Malaysia (B) (NB), Myanmar (B) (NB), Singapore (B) (NB), Thailand (B) (NB).
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010) and decreasing.
Status NT
Forest loss due to illegal logging, fires and habitat fragmentation are the main threats.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Food
Mainly insects, including ants, beetles, wood grubs and cockroaches. Also small snails and seeds from fruit.
Garnet Pitta (Erythropitta granatina) [XC777987]
by David Boyle from Taman Negara National Park, Pahang, Malaysia (call)
Garnet Pitta (Erythropitta granatina) [XC826714]
by Lim Ying Hien from Taman Negara, Sungai Relau, Merapoh, Pahang, Malaysia (duet, song)
Subspecies
Pitta granatina (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Garnet Pitta (Erythropitta granatina) and Black-crowned Pitta (Erythropitta ussheri) following Lambert (1996), Erritzoe and Erritzoe (1998), Erritzoe (2003) and Mann (2008) owing to morphological and vocal differences and their apparent parapatry.
Forms a superspecies with Graceful Pitta (Erythropitta venusta) and sometimes considered conspecific, but differs in structural and plumage characters, in altitudinal preference, and in vocalizations. Subspecies ussheri has been treated separately as a subspecies of Graceful Pitta (Erythropitta venusta) and more recently, as a distinct species on basis of different vocalizations and appearance and lack of extensive hybridization where its range meets that of present species, but plumage and vocal differences appear too slight to support this treatment and hybrids are considered to be adequately documented.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
coccinea (Eyton, 1839) - Extreme southern Myanmar (Tenasserim), extreme southern peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and eastern Sumatra.
ussheri Gould, 1877 - Lowlands of northern Borneo. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Black-crowned Pitta (Erythropitta ussheri).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet