The blue-rumped pitta is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. It is found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonal forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
Region
Mainland Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs in Cambodia, southern China (e.g., Guangxi and Yunnan), Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Inhabits subtropical and tropical seasonal evergreen and moist montane forests with dense understory. Prefers shaded interiors near streams, bamboo thickets, and areas with deep leaf litter. Often remains concealed, using tangles and root buttresses for cover. Tolerates secondary growth if understory remains intact.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy, ground-dwelling forest bird, the blue-rumped pitta is more often heard than seen, giving mournful, whistled notes from dense understory. Its vivid blue rump flashes when it hops or makes a short dash through leaf litter. It forages by flicking leaves to expose insects and worms and is highly sensitive to habitat disturbance.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Nests are domed or ball-like structures of leaves and roots placed on or near the ground. Both parents are believed to share incubation and chick-rearing duties. Territorial calling is common at dawn and after rain.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives clear, melancholy whistles, often two to three notes with a slightly descending quality. Phrases are repeated at intervals from concealed perches in dense vegetation.
Plumage
Stocky, short-tailed pitta with olive-green upperparts, warm brown head and breast, and a striking electric-blue rump and upper tail; underparts buff to rufescent. Female is duller and more uniformly olive-brown with less extensive blue and weaker contrast.
Diet
Feeds mainly on ants, beetles, larvae, termites, and other insects, along with earthworms, snails, and small invertebrates. Forages by hopping on the forest floor and flicking aside leaf litter to expose prey. May probe soft soil and mossy edges near streams. Opportunistic after rain when invertebrate activity increases.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory and shaded leaf-littered ground within mature or well-structured secondary forests. Often near watercourses, root buttresses, and bamboo thickets where cover is abundant.
