Indian Pitta

SCI Name:  Pitta brachyura
Protonym:  Corvus brachyurus Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.158
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pittidae / Pitta
Taxonomy Code:  indpit1
Type Locality:  'Moluccas,'' error for Ceylon.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1766
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PITTA
(Pittidae; Ϯ Indian Pitta P. brachyura) Telugu Dravidian name pitta pretty bauble or pet; "137. BRÈVE, Pitta.  Corvus, Linn. Gm. Lath.   Bec robuste, un peu épais à la base, droit, convexe en dessus, comprimé, pointu; mandibule supérieure échancrée vers le bout; l'inférieure entière, égale. — Ailes longues. — Queue courte.   Esp. Brève, Buff." (Vieillot 1816); "Pitta Vieillot, 1816, Analyse, p. 42. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1855, Cat. Genera Subgenera Birds, p. 43), Corvus triostegus Sparrman = Corvus brachyurus Linnaeus." (Mayr in Peters 1979, VIII, 310).   
Var. Pelta.   
Synon. Austropitta, Brachyurus, Calopitta, Cervinipitta, Citta, Coloburis, Cyanopitta, Galeripitta, Melanopitta, Merula, Pulchripitta.

brachyura / brachyuros / brachyurum
Gr. βραχυς brakhus  short; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura  tail.
● ex “Olivert” of Levaillant 1803, pl. 125 (Camaroptera).
● ex “Petit Gobe-mouche tacheté de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 831, fig. 2, and de Buffon 1770-1783 (Myrmotherula).
● ex “Pica indica vulgaris” of Ray 1713, “Pica bengalensis” of Albin 1731-1738, “Pica cauda brevi. Short-tail’d Pye” of Edwards 1751, and “Turdus viridis moluccensis” of Brisson 1760 (Pitta).