Noisy Pitta

SCI Name:  Pitta versicolor
Protonym:  Pitta versicolor Zool.J. 1 p.468
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pittidae / Pitta
Taxonomy Code:  noipit1
Type Locality:  'Australasia,'' [= New South Wales].
Author:  Swainson
Publish Year:  1825
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.

versicolor
L. versicolor, versicoloris  of various colours  < vertere  to change; color, coloris  colour.
● ex “Perroquet de La Havane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 360 (Amazona).
● ex “Barbu des Maynas” of Brisson 1760 (Eubucco).
● ex “Perruche à gorge tachetée de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 144, “Perruche, no. 2” of Fermin 1769, “Perruche à gorge variée” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Wave-breasted Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Pyrrhura picta).
● ex "Pato pico de tres colores" of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 440 (Spatula).
● ex “Variable Crow” of Latham 1801 (Strepera).

SUBSPECIES

Noisy Pitta (simillima)
SCI Name: Pitta versicolor simillima
simillima / simillimum / simillimus
L. simillimus  very similar  < super. similis  similar.
● "Arachnothera simillima, Sp. Nov.  Extremely like A. flavigaster, Eyton, but smaller, somewhat yellower above and below, with a much smaller bill and distinguished at once by the rami of the lower mandible not meeting to form the angle of the gonys till within 0·6 of the point.  ...  This bird may not be new, but I am unable to identify it; and I think it probable that owing to its extreme similarity to the common flavigaster it may hitherto have escaped observation." (Hume 1877) (syn. Arachnothera flavigaster).
● "75. Dicaeum geelvinkianum simillimum subsp. nov.  Extremely similar to D. g. diversum R. & H. (NOV. ZOOL. 1903, p. 215), but differs by the deeper red colour of the crown, breast patch and rump.  ...  It is perhaps risky to describe a form which differs so little, but this form is interesting as standing in between rubrocoronatum and diversum, in having the deep red of the former and the more steel-blue (not purplish) edges of the latter, and its geographical position is equally intermediate." (Hartert 1930) (syn. Dicaeum geelvinkianum).
● "Sp. 134.  Heterophasia simillima, nov. sp.  ...  Simillima H. PICOIDI (Hodgs.) nepalensi, sed paullo minor, subtus pallidior, abdomine et subcaudalibus sordide albidis, et speculo alari albo minore, diversa." (Salvadori 1879) (subsp. Heterophasia picaoides).
● "Rallus torquatus simillimus, subsp. nov.  Description.—Male and female.  Very similar to Rallus torquatus sulcirostris Wallace from Sula Mangoli and Taliaboe, but larger and slightly more rufous and a little darker on the upper parts.  ...  The difference in colour is very slight, and some specimens are scarcely different in this respect.  I would not have given the Peling population a new name were it not an island race." (Neumann 1939) (syn. Hypotaenidia torquata).
● "30b. *Diaphoropterus naevius simillimus nov. Subsp.   Verbreitung: Alle drei Loyalty-Inseln.  ...  ausser dem etwa kürzeren Schwanz mit der caledonischen Form übereinstimmend.  Beim Weibchen, besonders bei dem von Maré, sind die weissen Säume der Primär- und namentlich der Sekundärschwingen wesentlich schmäler als beim caledonischen Vogel, ähnlich die hell rötlichbraunen des Weibchens von Lifou." (F. Sarasin 1913) (subsp. Lalage leucopygus).
● "454. Motacilla flava simillima subsp. nov.  Budytes leucostriatus (non Homeyer!) amerikanischer Ornithologen.   In Kamtschatka brütet eine Schafstelze, die der mitteleuropäischen M. f. flava so ähnlich ist, daß sie schwer zu unterscheiden ist und bisher von europäischen Ornithologen nicht davon unterschieden wurde" (Hartert 1905) (subsp. Motacilla tschutschensis).
● "There also we find a beautiful and apparently very common Pitta, closely assimilating in colour, but in colour alone, to the P. strepitans  ...  Having lately had a great number of specimens forwarded to me which all agree in being of a smaller size and in having the under surface of a deeper buff, I propose, notwithstanding the opinion given in my 'Handbook,' to characterize it as distinct, and at the same time to assign to it a name (simillima) which shall mark its affinity to the older known species.  ...  PITTA SIMILLIMA, Gould." (Gould 1868) (subsp. Pitta versicolor).
● "83.—T. simillimus.—New species.—Neilgherry black bird.   This black bird, generally considered by residents on the Neilgherries to be identical with the European species, so closely resembles it, that I was unable to decide accurately from the descriptions I possess, til I procured some specimens from home of the British bird.  It however differs invariably (besides in other points hereafter to be mentioned) in the colour of its legs, which are always yellow, whilst those of the T. merula are brown" (Jerdon 1839) (Turdus). 

Noisy Pitta (intermedia)
SCI Name: Pitta versicolor intermedia
intermedea / intermedia / intermedianus / intermedium / intermedius
L. intermedius  intermediate, that is between (cf. Late L. intermedium  intervention, between two others; Med. L. intermedium  interval).  These epithets are common in ornithology, highlighting forms considered to have intermediate plumage, size, distribution, etc.; only a few are shown below.
• “Genus Ardea.   ...   A. intermedia.  ...  Habitat in insula Java.  Simillima habitu ac colore Ardeae flavirostri, eadem dimidio fere minor.” (Wagler 1829) (Ardea).
• "73.  Coracina papuensis papuensis Gm.   ...   The birds from the Snow Mts. are exactly intermediate between C. p. papuensis from N. W. New Guinea and C. p. meekiana from S. E. New Guinea; so I propose to call the race found on the south side of the Central Range.   Coracina papuensis intermedia subsp. nov." (Rothschild 1931) (subsp. Coracina papuensis).
• "Ce tinamou présente, comme nous l'avons dit, des caractères de transition entre Calopezus elegans et Calopezus formosus.  Cette nouvelle espèce, ou peut-être race intermédiaire, qui paraît localisée dans les régions montagneuses du Nord-ouest de la République Argentine, nous la distinguerons avec le nom de:  Calopezus intermedius n. sp.   ...   Il est possible que Calopezus intermedius et Calopezus formosus représentent seulement des formes géographiques de Calopezus elegans" (Dabbene & Lillo 1913) ( subsp. Eudromia elegans).
• "Formicivora   ...   F. grisea  ...  Kommt in Brasilien, Cayenne und Guiana vor.   ...   F. rufatra  ...  Vaterland: Brasilien und Bolivien.   ...   F. intermedia.  ...  Vaterland: Columbien" (Cabanis 1847) (Formicivora).
• "Falco pondicerianus apud Horsfield is a race intermediate to Haliastur indus of India proper and H. leucosternum of Australia, having dark central streaks to the white portion of the plumage, but considerably less developed than (constantly) in the Indian bird..  ...  Of very many examples of the Indian race examined or beheld close, I certainly have never seen one that had the dark streaks or lines so little developed as in the Javanese bird, or most assuredly I should have remarked it.  To what extent the Indian and Australian races may thus grade into each other, in other intermediate localities, remains to be ascertained.  ...  Mr. Gurney informs me that he thinks the Javanese race should be distinguished by the name intermedius." (Blyth 1865) (subsp. Haliastur indus).
• "Then we have in Tenasserim, most abundant in the hills, but extending in the cold weather to the sea-board and the plains of Pegu, a race of melaschistus, which I will, for convenience sake, denominate VOLVOCIVORA  INTERMEDIA.  It is very close to melaschistus, and as such I originally identified it, but with 24 specimens before me I find that sex being ascertained no specimen of it can be mistaken for a specimen of the corresponding sex of melaschistus, but it is much the same size, and the old males are nearly as possible the same colour as the females of melaschistus.  ...  I am very doubtful whether this should be considered a subspecies or not, but it is a very distinguishable and perfectly constant race, and not one single specimen of true melaschistus has occurred to us throughout the region in which it is so abundant, and it may be best therefore to characterize it by a distinct name." (Hume 1877) (subsp. Lalage melaschistos).
• "5.  SETOPHAGA  INTERMEDIA, Nob.  ...  Espèce typique intermédiaire entre la S. vulnerata et la S. verticalis, Lafresn.  Elle diffère de la première par un bec plus grand et plus large, par la gorge cendrée, par le coloris de la queue, par la couleur de l'abdomen; la S. verticalis, Lafr. est jaune d'œuf en dessous." (Hartlaub 1852) (subsp. Myioborus miniatus).
• "3. CRYPTOLOPHA  INTERMEDIA  La Touche, sp. n.   Near C. tephrocephala (Anders.) and C. affinis (Hodgs.).  Differs from the former in having a much shorter bill, and the secondary coverts distinctly tipped with pale yellow, forming a well-marked bar; from C. affinis it differs in having a ring of feathers round the eye, yellow." (La Touche 1898) (Phylloscopus).
• “728. —  Pipreola viridis intermedia  ...  Forme intermédiaire entre la P. viridis de la Bolivie et la P. melanolæma de l’Ecuador, plus voisine de la dernière.” (Taczanowski 1884) (Pipreola).
• "Ploceus intermedius.  Sehr nahe mit meinem Ploceus larvatus verwandte Art.  Vorderkopf bis über den hintern Augenwinkel, Kehle, Oberhals und Ohrengegend schwarz, Hinterkopf und Nacken röthlich braungelb.  Mitte der Brust orangengelb, Seiten des Halses und Unterkörpers citrongelb.  Rücken gelbgrün, gegen den Schwanz hin citronengelb." (Rüppell 1845) (Ploceus).
• “This species is somewhat intermediate between Palaeornis schisticeps and P. cyanocephala in size and coloration, but is nearer P. schisticeps” (Rothschild 1895) (syn. Psittacula cyanocephala x Psittacula himalayana).
• "RHIPIDURA  INTERMEDIA, sp. nov.  ...  Dr. Sharpe's description of Rhipidura rufifrons in the "Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum," vol. iv., p. 319 (1879), evidently applies to this species, for he describes the tail feathers as being "distinctly tipped with white."  The type of Rhipidura rufifrons characterized by Dr. Latham, was obtained in New South Wales, and has the tips of the tail feathers pale brown, not white.  In the latter respect Rhipidura intermedia agrees with R. torrida, described and figured (Proc. Zool. Soc., 1865, p. 477, pl. xxviii.) by Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, from the island of Ternate, but R. torrida differs from R. intermedia in having the ear-coverts and upper breast black." (North 1902) (subsp. Rhipidura rufifrons).
• "Sp. intermedia n. sp.  ... Der [Sp.] hypoleuca im Schnabel und der ganzen Gestalt äusserst ähnlich, nur etwas kleiner, von dieser durch die nicht weisse, sondern graue Färbung der Kehle und Brust verschieden, mithin fast ganz so gefärbt wie Sp. plumbea, von welcher intermedia sich nur unterscheidet durch den grössern Schnabel und die kürzeren abgerundeteren, daher nicht so zugespitzten Flügel; auch sind Kehle und Brust etwas dunkler als in plumbea und fehlt das weisse Fleckchen an der Wurzel des Unterkiefers; der weisse Spiegel auf dem Flügel ist kleiner und versteckter" (Cabanis 1851) (Sporophila).
• "Thamnistes anabatinus intermedius subsp. nov.  ...  This form, based on but one specimen, is clearly an intermediate between T. æquatorialis of eastern Ecuador and southeastern Colombia, and the quite different T. anabatinus group of Panama to Mexico.  Its crown and back closely agree in color with those of æquatorialis while the underparts are similar to those of T. a. coronatus; the tail and wings externally are intermediate but nearer to those of coronatus." (Chapman 1914) (subsp. Thamnistes anabatinus).
• "33.  Thamnophilus intermedius, sp. nov.   SP. CHAR.—Adult male: Similar to that of T. nigricristatus LAWR., but bill larger, and feathers of crest largely white in middle portion; adult female similar to that of T. doliatus, but with larger bill." (Ridgway 1888) (subsp. Thamnophilus doliatus).
• "ZOSTEROPS  INTERMEDIA.  ...  Very near Z. flava, but a little larger, more yellow on the forehead and less on the upper tail-coverts, and the black subocular streak not extending so far forward  ...  Hab. Macassar and Lombock.   Remark.—Mr. G. R. Gray attached the MS. name of intermedius to my Macassar specimen." (Wallace 1864) (subsp. Zosterops chloris).

Noisy Pitta (versicolor)
SCI Name: Pitta versicolor versicolor
versicolor
L. versicolor, versicoloris  of various colours  < vertere  to change; color, coloris  colour.
● ex “Perroquet de La Havane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 360 (Amazona).
● ex “Barbu des Maynas” of Brisson 1760 (Eubucco).
● ex “Perruche à gorge tachetée de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 144, “Perruche, no. 2” of Fermin 1769, “Perruche à gorge variée” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Wave-breasted Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Pyrrhura picta).
● ex "Pato pico de tres colores" of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 440 (Spatula).
● ex “Variable Crow” of Latham 1801 (Strepera).