African Pitta

SCI Name:  Pitta angolensis
Protonym:  Pitta angolensis Nouv.Dict.Hist.Nat. 4 p.356
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Pittidae / Pitta
Taxonomy Code:  afrpit1
Type Locality:  Angola.
Author:  Vieillot
Publish Year:  1816
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.

angolae / angolense / angolensis / angolica / angolicus
Angola (Portuguese Angola  <  Ngola a title of the kings of Ndongo).
● ex “Rollier d’Angola” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Coracias caudatus).
● ex “Angola Vulture” of Latham 1781 (Gypohierax).
● ex “Apiaster angolensis” of Brisson, “Petit Guêpier vert et bleu à queue étagée” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Angola Bee-eater” of Latham 1782 (?syn. Merops pusillus).
● ex “Linotte d’Angola” of Brisson 1760, and “Angola Finch” of Latham 1783 (syn. Ochrospiza atrogularis).
● ex “Fringilla ventre caeruleo. Blue-belly’d Finch” of Edwards 1750 (Uraeginthus).
● Erroneous TL. Angola (= Brazil); ex “Black Gros-beak” of Edwards 1764 (Sporophila).

SUBSPECIES

African Pitta (pulih)
SCI Name: Pitta angolensis pulih
pulih
Timneh or Timmani (Sierra Leone) name Pulih mocking bird, for the African Pitta (subsp. Pitta angolensis).

African Pitta (angolensis)
SCI Name: Pitta angolensis angolensis
angolae / angolense / angolensis / angolica / angolicus
Angola (Portuguese Angola  <  Ngola a title of the kings of Ndongo).
● ex “Rollier d’Angola” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Coracias caudatus).
● ex “Angola Vulture” of Latham 1781 (Gypohierax).
● ex “Apiaster angolensis” of Brisson, “Petit Guêpier vert et bleu à queue étagée” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Angola Bee-eater” of Latham 1782 (?syn. Merops pusillus).
● ex “Linotte d’Angola” of Brisson 1760, and “Angola Finch” of Latham 1783 (syn. Ochrospiza atrogularis).
● ex “Fringilla ventre caeruleo. Blue-belly’d Finch” of Edwards 1750 (Uraeginthus).
● Erroneous TL. Angola (= Brazil); ex “Black Gros-beak” of Edwards 1764 (Sporophila).

African Pitta (longipennis)
SCI Name: Pitta angolensis longipennis
longipennis
L. longus  long; -pennis  -winged, -feathered  < penna  feather.