This is called Steere’s Pitta in the Kennedy guide. This is an uncommon Philippine endemic. It measures 8 inches long. It is described in the Kennedy guide as “threatened as most lowland forest within range is rapidly disappearing”. It has a distinctive bark-like call “whirp whirp whirp whirp whirp”. It is a beautifully colored jewel-toned bird with a black head, white throat, brilliant azure blue breast, and scarlet belly. It does not have white in its inner wings, unlike the similarly colored Hooded Pitta.
We had been looking for this bird for some time. We failed to see it in Bohol in 2010 and in Bislig in early 2011. During our 2nd Bohol trip with Christian P, we were somewhat dejected when we found very few birds in the forest. We described our experience as “they type of birding where not a single falling leaf was left unexamined”.
We were that desperate to see a bird! On our first and second days, we didn’t even hear a single Steere’s Pitta calling. Day 3 seemed like it would be just as demoralizing as the first two days.
We were feeling tired and asked Ryan to go ahead to check out the site near the pool and just text us if the Steere’s Pitta was there. It was! We quickly rushed over to where Ryan was.
Then, just as dusk was settling in, we saw an Azure-breasted Pitta, Wattled Broadbill, and Rufous-tailed Jungle-flycatcher all within meters and minutes of each other. In one short hour, our entire trip was turned on its head and became a roaring success! Unfortunately, because of the low light our photos are quite disappointing. We hope to see this bird again and take better pictures!
