Breeding biology during the nestling period at a Black-crowned PittaErythropitta ussherinest

Abstract

Summary. The natural history of most Pittidae is understudied, but the breeding biology of the genus Erythropitta, a recently recognised grouping of red-bellied pittas, is especially poorly known. We monitored and video-recorded a Blackcrowned Pitta E. ussheri nest in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, during the nestling period and found that the male had a higher visitation rate and the female was the sole adult that brooded. We clarify this species' nestling development and describe two vocalisations: (1) the first instance of a fledgling-specific song in Pittidae and (2) a soft grunt-like sound given by adults arriving at the nest early in the nestling period. We analysed the structure of each visit, finding that the longest segment of most parental visits was the period between food delivery and parental departure. We hypothesise that adults linger to await the production of faecal sacs and aid nestlings to process food.