Indian Pitta

Overview

The Indian pitta, or Navrang, is a small passerine bird native to the Indian subcontinent that inhabits scrub jungle, deciduous forests, and dense evergreen woodlands. Listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List, it is a colourful but shy species that is far more often heard than seen.

Identification

• A small, stubby-tailed bird with long, strong legs and a stout bill.
• Features a buff crown stripe, black coronal and eye stripes, and a white throat and neck.
• Upper parts are green with a blue tail, while the underparts are buff with bright red on the lower belly and vent.
• Emits a distinctive loud two-note whistle (wheet-tieu or wieet-pyou) or occasionally a triple note, often with the head thrown back and bill pointed upwards.

Habitat

Breeding occurs in the Himalayan foothills, hills of central and western India, and the Western Ghats, with winter migration throughout the Indian peninsula and Sri Lanka. It primarily inhabits scrub jungle and forests but exhausted individuals sometimes appear in human settlements.

Diet

The bird feeds on insects and small invertebrates picked up from the ground or leaf litter, and has also been observed taking kitchen scraps. It forages by hopping on the ground among dense undergrowth.

Did you know?

In Tamil, the bird is known as the 'Six-O-Clock bird' because of its habit of calling at dawn and dusk, while a Sinhala interpretation of its call translates to a complaint about a peacock stealing its dress.