PITTA ( 8/12) Bornean Endemic - Bornean Banded Pitta (Lifer 555/688)

This is my second Bornean pitta amongst the other 3-4 more. The first one was the easy catch in Sepilok - Black-headed Pitta another split from our peninsula  Garnet. In Tambunan about 1.15 hours from Ranau you can visit a privately operated hide  by KKLee. With the reopening of borders and open sky flying the place is happening and advance booking is necessary because of limited seats. We were lucky to bum into Leong at Gng Alab who so willingly connect us to shoot there The rate was reasonable too. Apparently there were some cancellation by another group due to Covid ...... A blessing in disguise. 

Snappy-looking pitta with a broad egg-yolk-yellow eyebrow, black mask, coffee-brown back, and finely barred underparts. Male has a yellow throat, black crown, and indigo belly patch. Female is similar but duller, with no indigo belly patch, a whitish throat, paler underparts, and a pale brown crown. Listen for its song, a series of well-spaced explosive but mellow “byow!”s. Widely distributed but uncommon to locally common; inhabits hill and lowland dipterocarp forests, where it seems to favor dry ridges, hilltops, and limestone areas.

I still think our peninsula (Malayan) Banded Pitta male with its vivid orange mixed banding and head is much better looker. The latter can be seen at Lancang Pahang and Merapoh Kuala Tahan.