The rainbow pitta is a small passerine bird in the pitta family, Pittidae, endemic to northern Australia, most closely related to the superb pitta of Manus Island. It has a velvet black head with chestnut stripes above the eyes, olive green upper parts, black underparts, a bright red belly and an olive green tail. An Australian endemic, it lives in the monsoon forests and in some drier eucalypt forests.
Region
Northern Australia
Typical Environment
Found primarily in monsoon rainforests, vine thickets, and gallery forests across the Top End of the Northern Territory and into the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It also uses adjacent dense eucalypt woodlands and paperbark swamps, especially where there is a thick leaf-litter layer. Birds keep close to shaded understory and edges of rainforest patches. They are most frequently encountered near creeks, springs, and coastal lowland forests. Habitat use intensifies during the wet season when invertebrate prey is abundant.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The rainbow pitta is a striking ground-dwelling songbird of the Top End’s monsoon forests, famed for its velvet-black head, red belly, and turquoise wing patch. It forages quietly in leaf litter and is often heard before it is seen, giving clear, whistled territorial calls. It builds a large domed nest low in vegetation during the wet season, with both parents tending the young. The species is secure in several protected areas, including Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks.
Study skin of a rainbow pitta showing the (faded) red on the rump
Nominate race of the rainbow pitta near Darwin in the Northern Territory
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs and strongly territorial in the breeding season. Nests are domed with a side entrance, placed low in shrubs, vines, or ferns. Breeding peaks in the wet season; both sexes incubate and feed the young. Birds spend much of the day hopping and pausing while foraging on the forest floor.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, whistled two-note call repeated at intervals, often delivered from a concealed perch. Calls are most frequent at dawn and after rain and function in territory advertisement.
