The eastern hooded pitta is a passerine bird in the pitta family Pittidae that is endemic to New Guinea and some of the small neighbouring islands.
Region
New Guinea and nearby islands
Typical Environment
Endemic to the island of New Guinea, occurring in both Papua New Guinea and Indonesian New Guinea, and extending to several small adjacent islands. It inhabits primary and secondary lowland rainforests, forest edges, and tall second-growth. Birds keep close to dense understory and tangles, moving by short hops on the leaf-littered floor. It tolerates selectively logged forest and overgrown gardens near forest margins. Where undisturbed, it is widespread but patchy due to territorial behavior.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Eastern Hooded Pitta is a ground-dwelling passerine known for its striking black hood, chestnut crown, emerald-green body, and crimson undertail. It forages quietly on the forest floor, often turning leaf litter to uncover prey. Despite its vivid colors, it can be surprisingly elusive in dense undergrowth. Its clear, whistled song carries far through lowland rainforest.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and direct through understory
Social Behavior
Typically encountered singly or in pairs, maintaining well-defined territories on the forest floor. Nests are domed or ball-like structures of leaves and fibers placed low or on the ground. Both sexes participate in incubation and feeding of the young. Breeding timing varies locally with rainfall.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, whistled, two- to three-note call, often rendered as peeu-wiu or pee-pee-woo, repeated at intervals. Also gives sharp ticking contact notes from dense cover. Song can carry long distances at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Compact, glossy plumage with a smooth, velvety black hood and throat, bright green body, and rich chestnut crown; vivid red undertail coverts and a bluish-turquoise shoulder patch.
Diet
Feeds mainly on ground-dwelling invertebrates such as beetles, ants, termites, spiders, and earthworms. It also takes small snails and occasionally small vertebrates like tiny lizards. Foraging involves deliberate hopping and flicking aside leaves to uncover prey. Prey is swallowed whole or beaten against the ground to subdue.
Preferred Environment
Forages on shaded forest floors with ample leaf litter and fallen logs. Often along trails, streams, and edges where invertebrate activity is high. Uses dense understory for cover, emerging briefly into more open patches.
