Blue-winged Pitta

Overview

The blue-winged pitta (Pitta moluccensis) is a colourful passerine bird in the family Pittidae. It forms a superspecies with three other pittas, including the Indian pitta and fairy pitta.

Identification

• Plumage: Black head with a buff supercilium and white chin, greenish shoulders and mantle, bright blue wings, buff underparts and a reddish vent area.
• Measurements: 180 to 205 mm in length with a very short tail and a shorter bill than the similar mangrove pitta.
• Legs and Eyes: Pale pink legs and brown eyes.
• Vocalisation: A loud call transcribed as taew-laew taew-laew.

Habitat

Found across much of southeast Asia and Indochina, from central Myanmar east through Thailand and into peninsular Malaysia, with ranges extending to India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It inhabits lowland subtropical and tropical forests, parks, gardens, and mangroves up to 800 m in altitude, but avoids dense rainforest.

Diet

Mostly feeds on worms and insects, hunting them on the ground or from a low branch or perch. They also consume hard-shelled snails.

Did you know?

The species' original scientific name, Turdus moluccensis, was based on a misidentification; the specific epithet moluccensis refers to the Moluccas, but the bird's range does not actually extend that far east.