The South Moluccan pitta is a species of pitta. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the red-bellied pitta. It is endemic to Indonesia where it occurs on Buru and Seram. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
Maluku Islands
Typical Environment
Occurs in subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests on Buru and Seram, favoring dense understory and leaf-litter-rich floors. It uses primary forest and lightly disturbed secondary forest, especially near streams and damp gullies. Typically keeps to shaded, humid microhabitats where cover is abundant. It avoids open areas and heavily degraded forest and is rarely seen away from interior woodland.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The South Moluccan pitta is a shy, ground-dwelling forest bird of Buru and Seram in Indonesia, split from the red-bellied pitta complex. Its name rubrinucha refers to a reddish nape patch, a useful field mark along with its vivid red underparts and blue shoulder flash. It relies on intact lowland forest and dense understory, making it sensitive to logging and habitat fragmentation.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; low, direct dashes between cover
Social Behavior
Usually encountered alone or in pairs, keeping close to the ground and moving in short hops. Nests are dome-shaped structures built low in dense cover, with both sexes involved in care. Territorial duets and countersinging are common during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, carrying two- to three-note whistle, often given from a concealed perch. Calls are mellow yet penetrating and repeated at intervals, especially at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Compact, rounded pitta with dark olive-green upperparts, deep red underparts, and a contrasting blue shoulder panel. The nape shows a reddish patch; head largely dark with a subtle face mask. Wings have bluish highlights and the tail is dark with a bluish sheen.
Diet
Feeds primarily on ground-dwelling invertebrates such as beetles, ants, termites, earthworms, and snails. Occasionally takes small frogs or lizards and other soft-bodied prey. Forages by hopping, pausing, and flipping leaf litter to expose prey.
Preferred Environment
Usually forages on the shaded forest floor in dense understory, along stream banks, and in damp gullies. Prefers areas with deep leaf litter and minimal human disturbance.
