• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This species is listed as Endangered as its population is estimated to be very small.

Population justification
Based on a density estimate of 2.8 individuals/km² (Riley 2002), extrapolated over 10% of the species's EOO, its population is estimated to number c.200 individuals. It is placed in the band 50-249 mature individuals here to account for the uncertainty around this estimate.

Trend justification
The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing destruction of lowland evergreen forests within its restricted range (del Hoyo et al. 2003).

Erythropitta caeruleitorques is restricted to Sangihe Besar, Sangihe, Indonesia, where it is common in a restricted area on the western slopes of Gunung Awu, and present at low density around the Sahendaruman crater in the south of the island (Riley 1997, R. Martin in litt. 2016).

This is a forest species, likely to occur across a range of lowland forest types and recorded up to c.600 m (Riley 1997, R. Martin in litt. 2016). Diet consists of insects, snails, earthworms and occasionally plant material. Nest is usually built on the ground or low in a tree or shrub (del Hoyo et al. 2003).

Threats to this species are unknown.

Conservation Actions Underway
Both Gunung Awu and the Sahendaruman crater are listed as protection forest, though only a third of the latter is actually forested, much of which is above 650 m.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Estimate population trends for the species.

16-18 cm. Small pitta with a uniformly brownish-red head and a black band between its blue breast and red belly.

Text account compilers
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J., Khwaja, N. & Martin, R

Contributors
Martin, R

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Sangihe Pitta Erythropitta caeruleitorques. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/sangihe-pitta-erythropitta-caeruleitorques on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.