Brachyurus steerii Sharpe, Nature (1876), 14, 297;
Trans. Linn. Soc. 2d. ser. Zool. (1877), 1, 329, pl. 49.
Pitta steerii Sclater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1888), 14, 442;
Grant, Ibis (1897), 241; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 246 (habits).
Pitta steerei Sharpe, Hand-List (1901), 3, 184.
Pitta steeri McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 68.
Bohol (McGregor); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp.); Samar
(Steere Exp., Whitehead).
Adult (sexes similar).--Entire head and neck and their sides black;
upper parts green; rump light blue; tail and its coverts black;
chin and throat white; rest of under parts light blue, except a band
of velvety black down middle of breast, and the bright scarlet of
crissum; thighs gray; primaries black, some of them with small white
spots near the middle; secondaries green; alula and primary-coverts
black; secondary-coverts shiny silvery blue. Iris brown; bill black;
legs gray. Length, about 190. A male from Bohol measures: Wing, 115;
tail, 38; culmen from base, 26; tarsus, 42. A female measures, wing,
115; tail, 38; culmen from base, 27; tarsus, 40.
Sclater says: "It is impossible to mistake this noble species,
distinguished at once by its pure white throat and silvery blue
under surface."
"The plumage of some of the young birds, being in an interesting stage
of transition, is worth describing. The youngest example, a male, has
the upper parts and wings like those of the adult, but the breast,
sides, and flanks are of a dirty, grayish olive, only one or two of
the silver-blue feathers being visible, and the entire middle of the
breast and belly are pale scarlet. A rather older bird is similar to
the above, but down the sides and middle of the breast are three lines
of pale blue feathers. In both specimens these are being attained by
molt. In the middle of the breast a tuft of the black adult feathers
is making its appearance amongst the red, and some of the latter
appear to be turning black without a molt. * * *." (Grant.)
Steere's pitta is by no means common in any of the islands where it
has been found. In Bohol it was collected in forests of small trees
growing on coral-limestone hills and Whitehead found the species on
similar ground in Samar.