Pitta erythrogastra Temminck, Pl. Col. (1823), 212; Sclater,
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1888), 14, 432; Grant, Ibis (1896), 121;
Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 243 (critical remarks on Pitta propinqua).
Pitta erythrogaster Sharpe, Hand-List (1901), 3, 182; McGregor
and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 68.
A-li-mu-cung, Ticao; hu-hu-co, Ticao and Masbate; li-o-co, Manila.
Basilan (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor);
Bongao (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor);
Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester);
Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Cuming,
Heriot, Steere Exp., McGregor, Whitehead); Marinduque (Steere
Exp.); Masbate (McGregor, Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Steere,
Murray, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow,
Celestino); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor);
Negros (Keay); Palawan (Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Bourns &
Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Steere
Exp.); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor);
Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Platen); Tablas (Bourns &
Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).
Adult (sexes similar).--Head, sides of head, and neck reddish brown,
most intense on occiput; on each side of head a blackish brown band
from nostril to above eye; a blue collar, followed by a dull green
patch on mantle; back, rump, tail, and most of the wing blue; chin
brown, merging into black on fore breast, followed by a wide dull green
pectoral band which is more or less mixed with blue in its middle;
rest of under parts bright scarlet; longest under tail-coverts tipped
with blue; primaries black with blue tips, the third and fourth each
with a white spot half way between tip and base; wing-coverts blue,
a few of the outer lesser series with large white spots; tail blue
above, black below. Length, 160 to 180. A male from Romblon measures:
Wing, 97; tail, 35; culmen from base, 21; tarsus, 35. A female from
Bohol, wing, 97; tail, 36; culmen from base, 21; tarsus, 36.
Young.--The young bird is very different from the adult, particularly
in the coloring of the lower parts which are light earthy brown with
very little red on the abdomen; upper parts dull brown; as the bird
becomes older the adult plumage gradually makes its appearance; a
great number of specimens would be necessary to show all the changes
from young to adult.
"The red-breasted pitta is common throughout the islands; it is found
on the ground, usually in dark places in the forest and in second
growth. Ten males from Mindanao average: Length, 170; wing, 98; tail,
37; culmen, 22; tarsus, 34; middle toe with claw, 29. Six females
from the same place, length, 162; wing, 98; tail, 37; culmen, 22;
tarsus, 34; middle toe with claw, 29. Iris dark brown; legs, feet,
and nails dark brown; bill black." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
"Nearly mature males of this red-bellied pitta were collected near
Cape Engaño. Mr. Whitehead is of the opinion, Ibis (1893), 505,
that Pitta propinqua Sharpe, is not specifically distinct from the
present species. The type of P. propinqua came from the Island
of Balabac, and since Mr. Whitehead examined the British Museum
series we have obtained, through Mr. Everett, an adult male from
the typical locality. This bird agrees perfectly with Dr. Sharpe's
original description, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1877), 1, 330, and differs
much from the typical examples of P. erythrogastra. It must, however,
be stated, that both forms were found by Mr. Whitehead in the Island
of Palawan, one of his specimens being almost typical P. propinqua,
and, given a larger series, we should probably find that the two forms
pass more or less one into the other in Palawan. Still P. propinqua
is a very well-marked insular form, and I consider Dr. Sharpe fully
justified in regarding it as distinct. Both he and Dr. Sclater are
certainly mistaken, however, in regarding the '[male] juv. Dumalon,
Mindanao,' collected by Prof. Steere, as the young of P. propinqua,
the Mindanao bird being typical P. erythrogastra." (Grant.)