Red-bellied pitta

Pitta erythrogaster macklotti Temminck 1823
Red-bellied pitta
Family: Pittidae
Collection history: Cape York
 
There are only three species of pitta or jewel thrushes in Australia and less than thirty internationally. P. erythrogaster is limited to Cape York. This specimen was collected during the Chevert expedition and its labelling reflects an earlier taxonomic grouping. On 27 June 1875 the Chevert anchored between Poll, Bet and Sue islands in the Central Island group of Torres Strait, William John Macleay wrote: ‘A number of our people went ashore…Masters got some good birds, Spalding a snake and everyone got something’.
 
Museum: The Macleays, their collection and the search for order
Robyn Stacey and Ashley Hay
Cambridge University Press
2007