Erythropitta ussheri
Silhouette: Prin Pattawaro (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The black-crowned pitta (Erythropitta ussheri), also known as the black-headed pitta, black-and-crimson pitta, black-and-scarlet pitta or black-crowned garnet pitta, is a brightly coloured, ground-dwelling, bird species in the pitta family Pittidae. It is endemic to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo.
The black-crowned pitta was formally described in 1877 by the English ornithologist John Gould based on specimens that had been collected near the Lawas River in northern Borneo and sent to London by the British colonial administrator Herbert Taylor Ussher. Gould used the binomial name Pitta ussheri with the specific epithet chosen to honour Ussher who had supplied the specimens. The English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe published a description later in the same year. The black-crowned pitta is now one of 13 species placed in the genus Erythropitta that was introduced in 1854 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
The pitta was formerly considered a subspecies of the garnet pitta (Erythropitta granatina) but was split because of morphological and vocal differences as well as apparent parapatry.... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Pitta sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 761 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 258 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Pitta in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, against about 30% in April–July and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-headed Pitta sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black-headed Pitta sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Sepilok (Malaysia, about 30%) and Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (Malaysia, under 5%).
Same family: Pittidae
The closest relatives of the Black-headed Pitta that you can see in Danum Valley Conservation Area (family Pittidae, Pittas) are Blue-headed Pitta (about 30%) and Hooded Pitta (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-headed Pitta is recorded against all the birds logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (761 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
