Indian Pitta

Bengalenpitta ( Pitta brachyura )

Features

The 15-20 cm long Bengalenpitta is a stocky bird with a large head and powerful beak and large eyes; upper side it is green colored with blue areas on the wings, under hand, it is orange-yellow. He has a broad black eye-streak.

Occurrence

The Bengalenpitta inhabits tropical and subtropical forests and dense shrubbery in India. The northern populations draw for wintering to southern India and Sri Lanka.

Behavior

The Bengalenpitta is a bottom dweller, the fast- hopping travels in the understory. He spends the night and sings occasionally on trees. Its food consists mainly fruits, seeds, insects and other invertebrates, and small vertebrates, he seeks with his beak in the ground. Case of snails he smashed by them banging against tree trunks or rocks.

Reproduction

The Bengalenpitta builds mostly in the bushes close to the ground from branches of a domed nest with side entrance, which is lined with moss. The nest consists of three eggs.