Rusty-naped Pitta – calls

on 6th August 2018

“This Rusty-naped Pitta (Pitta oatesi deborah) is a tough bird to see and image (with my reluctance to flash birds and non-use of meal-worm feeding).

Rusty-naped Pitta, male.

“My wife and I had 2 opportunities to see one today in very dark and dense jungle (ISO for images was 45,600).

Rusty-naped Pitta, male.

1. Note the ‘intense’ blue rump and blue-green tail that is more descriptive of P. o. deborah. Only males have been described from my region.

2. I managed to record the classical calls that are described as ‘chiau whet‘ (Wells 2007). See below for sonogram and waveform.

Sonogram and waveform.

3. Calls occurred at a rate of 16-17 per minute when counted from two recordings (Wells 2007 reports 6-8 times per minute); but they can occur in a slower frequency.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Amar-Singh HSS (Dato’ Dr)
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
29th May 2018

Location: 1,600-1,700m ASL, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia
Habitat: Trail through primary jungle

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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